Katie Boulter survives first-round battle at Queen’s encouraged by fiance Alex de Minaur after second-set scare against qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic

Katie Boulter survived a second-set scare against qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic to book her spot in the second-round at Queen’s with her 7-6 (7-4), 1-6, 6-4 win on Tuesday afternoon. 

The Briton was watched by her fiance, world number 10 Alex de Minaur, who was on hand to offer words of encouragement for the player from the stands. 

Boulter had spoken on Sunday of her delight about finally playing at The Queen’s Club after years spent watching De Minaur, but her time at the historic venue almost came to a premature end.  

Boulter took her time getting used to the conditions in west London, where a wind whipped through through the stands but failed to shift a stubborn grey cloud overhead until deep into the tiebreak, and Tomljanovic was there to capitalise on early shakiness. 

But Boulter’s early break in the first set was avenged quickly by the Briton’s immediate break-back, the players sizing each other up before a tug-of-war at 3-3. The match’s longest game on Boulter’s serve almost saw the Briton broken, and as Tomljanovic’s level climbed, there was a feeling if she could overturn the home favourite here, she might have waltzed the set. 

But instead, Boulter clung onto momentum and eventually held before a lightning break of the Tomljanovic serve to love for 5-3. 

The British No1 was watched by her fiance, world number 10 Alex de Minaur on Tuesday

Boulter struggled with the elements at point in the match in blustery west London 

Tomljanovic came through qualifying to reach Tuesday match, but the Australian, long absent from the top 40 in the game, has some recent grass pedigree as one of the finalists last year at Birmingham. Although over-confident in her deep hitting at times, the 32-year-old had no interest in making life easy for Boulter. 

Boulter however had a growing crowd behind her, as the stands filled up in time with the emergence of the afternoon sun. Their voices were needed when Boulter sent an under-confidence second serve, still troubled by the wind and seldom lethal on Tuesday afternoon, into the net, and again when Tomljanovic forced the tiebreak after outfoxing Boulter with the softest of dropshots. 

The Briton had one of those in her arsenal too; drawing gasps from the stands as she floated Tomljanvoic’s mid-court volley centimetres off the court and nearly onto the other side of the net to put her ahead in the tiebreak. 

Things didn’t look so dainty in the second set, with Boulter still easily frustrated by her opponent despite her first-set cushion. The Briton was broken with little fuss after a testing opening hold, prompting increasingly desperate support around the Andy Murray Arena as Tomljanovic’s lead stretched to four games. 

Looking lost on serve and overpowered returning, Boulter could only watch wide-eyed as Tomljanovic’s ace flashed past her to see her claim the second set having earned a solitary game. The speed of Boulter’s collapse was double-quick too, with Tomljanovic on top after just over 30 minutes. 

Boulter’s serve refused to stick: when she finally did dish up something unreturnable her opponent’s way, her frustration told with an exasperated ‘thank you’ spoken with her relief. 

But after being broken in the early stages of the third, Boulter’s fight returned, and after gritting her teeth and claiming the break-back from 40-15 down, the Briton unleashed a fearsome hold to love, capped with a roar of delight. 

Both Boulter and the crowd were in full voice now, and the player, as if remembering who and where she was, began to play to the gallery.