Australian Open: Katie Boulter loses to Daria Kasatkina in first round

Britain’s Katie Boulter saved four match points but ultimately fell to Daria Kasatkina in the first round of the Australian Open.

The 24-year-old made 18 unforced errors in the first set against former top-10 player Kasatkina.

She fought back from a 5-2 deficit in the final set before Kasatkina closed out victory in 71 minutes.

Boulter had beaten promising American teenager Coco Gauff in the Gippsland Trophy as part of her Grand Slam preparations.

However, Kasatkina, now ranked 71 after a difficult few years, proved too much for Boulter.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself when really there was absolutely no need to,” Boulter said.

“I felt like I never really got going, I felt quite uncomfortable out on the court. I’m pretty upset about it.”

She did not help herself in a error-strewn first set, hitting just two winners as Kasatkina blazed past her in 23 minutes.

After saving a break point in her opening service game of the second set, Boulter was broken in the fourth game and found herself serving to stay in the match at 5-3.

It looked to be over as Boulter went 0-40 down on her serve, handing Kasatkina three match points, but the Briton rallied to win the 10-minute game and cling on.

However, Kasatkina was able to take advantage when Boulter’s serve faltered again to set up a second-round meeting with seventh seed Aryna Sabalenka.

Boulter, who was forced to sit out much of the 2019 season with a back injury, said her main aim for the year was to remain fit.

“I’ve worked so hard on my body so firstly I really hope that I’m going to stay fit,” she added.

“I kind of feel like I showed last week – unfortunately not this week – the game is there to beat some of these top players and I just feel like I have to maintain it longer.”

Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka both registered quick victories on the opening day at Melbourne Park.

The first Grand Slam of the year was delayed by three weeks to allow players to quarantine on their arrival.

What about the rest of the Brits?

Boulter was the only Briton in action on the first day at Melbourne Park.

As Britain’s highest-ranked player, Johanna Konta is leading the nation’s hopes in the singles tournaments.

A Melbourne semi-finalist in 2016, the 29-year-old is seeded 13th in the women’s draw and has reunited with coach Dimitri Zavialoff, who helped her reach the French Open semi-finals in 2019.

Francesca Jones will make her Grand Slam debut on Tuesday after coming through qualifying.

Jones, who comes from Bradford, has a rare genetic condition that means she was born with three fingers and a thumb on each hand, three toes on her right foot and four toes on her left.

Heather Watson is also in action on Tuesday while, in the men’s draw, compatriots Dan Evans and Cameron Norrie face one another.

Evans won his first ATP title on Sunday, beating rising Canadian star Felix Auger-Aliassime to lift the Murray River Open title.