Boulter Edges Golubic in Hong Kong After Tense Second Set

Katie Boulter beat Viktorija Golubic 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) to reach the last 16 of the Hong Kong Open. The first set was quick. The second was not.

Boulter led 5-2 in the second set and was serving for the match, one game from victory. Golubic broke her serve, which means winning a game on the other player's serve, and pulled the set back to 5-3. The set then went to a tiebreak, a short decider played when a set reaches 6-6. The first player to seven points wins it, but only by two clear points. Boulter won it 7-2.

The match also had a sharp edge. Boulter complained to the umpire after a point was not replayed, even though a noise from outside the court had disturbed the players. Rallies can be stopped and replayed when a sudden noise interferes, so Boulter's complaint was about the umpire's call. BBC Sport reported that she said the decision "got under my skin", and she described the match as a "lesson learned".

Boulter now meets American Claire Liu in the next round. Boulter was runner-up at this event in 2024, when she lost the final, so she knows the tournament well.

The two players have met often this autumn. In Osaka in October, Boulter beat Golubic 6-2, 6-1 in 58 minutes to reach the quarter-finals. That win moved her head-to-head record against Golubic to 3-2. Boulter also beat Golubic at the Japan Open last month on her way to the semi-finals.

Golubic's season ends here for this event. For Boulter, the Hong Kong result keeps her in the tournament, and the tiebreak was the moment that counted most. She lost a lead, got it back, and won the set when it mattered.