Japan Open: Katie Boulter puts rain delays behind her as Brit progresses to second round in Osaka
Britain's Katie Boulter books place in second round of Japan Open, after defeating home wildcard Himeno Sakatsume; Play had been suspended the day before due to heavy rainfall in Osaka; Watch the Japan Open all this week, live on Sky Sports Tennis
Tuesday 20 October 2026 19:01, UK
A day after heavy rainfall caused play to be suspended, Britain's Katie Boulter returned to clinch a 6-3 6-1 victory at the Japan Open over wildcard Himeno Sakatsume.
The world No 58 concluded a dominant victory in one hour and 32 minutes in Osaka, and she will next face Swiss player Viktorija Golubic for a place in the quarter-finals.
The victory gives Boulter a 20-20 record across her last 40 matches, and a confidence boost following a period in which she has only played three matches since September 30, owing to early exits at the China Open (second round) and Wuhan Open (first round).
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On Monday, the match between Boulter and Sakatsume had barely started when the players were forced off court after torrential rain arrived in Osaka. Given the venue didn't have a roof, the court was open to all of the elements.
By that point, only three games had been played in the first set, with Sakatsume leading 2-1 at the time of the suspension.
Play was resumed, but another rain delay followed with the score 6-3 3-1 (40-30) to Boulter, meaning both players had to leave court and return on Tuesday to finish the contest.
When play restarted again, 30-year-old Boulter continued to dominate, winning seven of her eight service games overall and claiming five of nine break point chances.
There were mixed fortunes for the Brits in Europe as Jacob Fearnley defeated Frenchman Hugo Gaston 6-3 6-0 in Belgium, but Toby Samuel went down to a 6-3 7-6 (7-3) loss against sixth seed Zizou Bergs.
British No 1 Arthur Fery lost 6-3 7-6 (7-2) against qualifier Borna Gojo in Lyon, while Cameron Norrie suffered a tough 6-3 3-6 6-3 defeat to Benjamin Bonzi.
Swiatek withdraws from Ningbo Open and calls time on season
Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from the Ningbo Open in China because of an injured left thigh, and has ended her season.
The six-time major winner lost to eventual champion Maja Chwalinska in the semi-finals at the Wuhan Open last week and struggled at times in that match.
"This has been one of the most demanding seasons of my career, with a lot of challenges, changes and lessons along the way," the Pole said on social media.
"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 was one of three players in contention for the last spot in the eight-player field for the season-ending WTA Finals at Indian Wells next month. It means she will not qualify for the tournament for the first time since 2019.
She finishes the season with a 39-15 record and a title in Toronto.
Players qualified for Indian Wells
- Elena Rybakina
- Aryna Sabalenka
- Mirra Andreeva
- Jessica Pegula
- Coco Gauff
- Elina Svitolina
- Karolina Muchova
- Linda Noskova
Watch the WTA and ATP Tours live on Sky Sports, with this week's action including events in China, Japan, Kazakhstan, France and Belgium. Latest Sky Sports deals or stream no contract on NOW.
