(Reuters) – British wildcard Katie Boulter said her shock second-round win over last year’s runner-up Karolina Pliskova at Wimbledon on Thursday meant more to her as it came at her late grandmother’s favourite tournament.
Boulter, ranked 118th in the world, eliminated the Czech sixth seed 3-6 7-6(4) 6-4 and said in her on-court interview that her grandmother had passed away earlier this week, dedicating the victory to her.
“Her favourite tournament was Wimbledon,” Boulter told reporters. “That’s why it’s a special one for me. She’d watch every single match that was on the TV.
“It’s been a tough few days for sure. I’ve tried to kind of get my emotions out and deal with the situation, try and keep my head on the tennis.
“I was lucky because my grandpa managed to come down from Leicester, and so we could keep him company and keep supporting him at the same time.”
Boulter added that she had only learned of her grandmother’s death after her first-round win over Clara Burel on Tuesday.
“I actually had a phone call from my grandpa the night before I played,” Boulter said. “He didn’t mention anything, but he kind of gave me the inkling that it might be coming.
“I didn’t know anything until after my first match where my mum basically pulled me aside and told me after the first match.”
Boulter, who has reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time, will next face Frenchwoman Harmony Tan.
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
