Katie Boulter Beats Sakatsume to Reach Japan Open Second Round

Persistent rain in Osaka forced Katie Boulter to complete her Japan Open first-round match across two days, but the British player secured a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Japanese wildcard Himeno Sakatsume on Tuesday. The eighth seed advanced to the second round, where she is scheduled to face Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic.

According to Sky Sports, the match lasted one hour and 32 minutes in total. Boulter, ranked No. 58 in the world, converted five of nine break points and won seven of her eight service games, while Sakatsume converted just one of 13 break-point opportunities.

Play was interrupted by heavy rainfall on Monday, with the players initially leaving the court after only three games. A further suspension followed when Boulter led 6-3, 3-1, at 40-30 in the second set, forcing both players to return the following day.

Boulter described the interruption as a difficult situation that required her to regain her focus when play resumed.

"Yesterday was a tough spot to end at," said Boulter.

The 30-year-old explained that she had hoped to finish the match on Monday but had to approach the contest with the same concentration when she returned.

"I wanted to play last night and continue, but with the rain, unfortunately, that wasn't possible.

"It meant that I had to have the same mindset again today and just try to get over the line and focus on getting through the match.

"I think I did that. I didn't want to be out here playing a third set so I'm pleased with today."

The win gave Boulter a 20-20 record across her previous 40 matches, according to Sky Sports. She had played only three matches since September 30 following early exits at the China Open and Wuhan Open.

Her next opponent, Golubic, was ranked No. 82 in the world in the Britwatch Sports preview. The two players had a 2-2 head-to-head record, including matches at ITF level, while Golubic reached the Japan Open quarterfinals in 2025.

Elsewhere on the WTA Tour, Iga Swiatek withdrew from the Ningbo Open because of a left thigh injury and announced that she would not compete again in 2026. The six-time Grand Slam champion finished her season with a 39-15 record and a title in Toronto.

Swiatek said the demands of recent seasons had influenced her decision to prioritize recovery.

"This has been one of the most demanding seasons of my career, with a lot of challenges, changes and lessons along the way," said Swiatek.

She also highlighted the progress made during the second half of the year and said she remained motivated to continue improving after her break.

"I'm especially proud of the work we've done in the second half of the year and the progress that came with it. It gives me a lot of confidence in what's ahead.

"The past few months, or actually the past couple of years, have been incredibly intense and I feel I need to rest and recover my body fully. So that's exactly what I will do, a bit longer this time.

"I've decided to end my season here, which means I won't be playing any more tournaments this year.

"I'm feeling grateful for everything this year has taught me and very much loving what I do. As always, I'll come back with passion and motivation to keep improving.

"Thank you for being with me and see you soon."

Swiatek's withdrawal ended her hopes of qualifying for the season-ending WTA Finals, scheduled for November 8-15 in Indian Wells. She had been among three players competing for the final place in the eight-player singles field and will miss the tournament for the first time since 2019.

In other European tournaments, British No. 1 Arthur Fery lost 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) to Croatian qualifier Borna Gojo in the Lyon Open first round. Fery, 24, had reached the Wimbledon semifinals earlier in the summer but had now lost five of his previous seven matches.

Former British No. 1 Cameron Norrie also exited in Lyon, losing 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to France's Benjamin Bonzi, who was ranked 100th in the world. Meanwhile, Jacob Fearnley defeated France's Hugo Gaston 6-3, 6-0 at the European Open in Brussels, while Toby Samuel lost 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) to Belgian sixth seed Zizou Bergs.