Katie Boulter in the first round of Wimbledon 2023, UK
Katie Boulter in the first round of Wimbledon 2023, UK | (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Tennis | WTA Nottingham 2024 | Watson, Dart, Boulter Appleton & Burrage kick off main draw action in Nottingham

By Ros Satar

  • Heather Watson [WC] v Kayla Day | H2H: First Meeting
  • Harriet Dart v Katie Boulter [3] | H2H: Boulter leads 5-1 (incl. ITF)
  • Emily Appleton [Q] v Kimberly Birrell [Q] | H2H: Birrell leads 1-0 (ITF)
  • Lily Miyazaki v Linda Fruhvirtova [Q] | H2H: Fruhvirtova leads 0-1
NOTTINGHAM, UK – Defending champion Katie Boulter features in a day of British action as the grass court season in the UK gets underway in Nottingham.

 

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Heather Watson [WC] v Kayla Day | H2H: First Meeting

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Heather Watson has been loyal to the Nottingham tournament and reached the semi-final here. She will hope that the grass brings about a change in fortunes. Watson has just one win since reaching the Roehampton 3 ITF final but with a game that can flourish on grass, she could turn her fortunes around.

Also looking to turn around her fortunes is Kayla Day, who is on a three-match losing streak, and has yet to advance past a first round of a tour-level event. Her successes have come on the ITF tour this year, and has only ever won a single match on grass during Wimbledon qualies last year.

Prediction: Watson in three sets.

 

Harriet Dart v Katie Boulter [3] | H2H: Boulter leads 5-1 (incl. ITF)

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Katie Boulter turned a corner last year, with her first tournament win on the WTA tour, that she then very able backed up with the WTA San Diego title earlier this year. The bump in rankings gave her a few challenges when it came to be seeded for the clay court seasons.

On grass she is on surer footing, literally. It has been one of her stronger surfaces with the Nottingham title and a run to the Wimbledon third round.

Opposite her will be Harriet Dart, whose feistiness led to a frustrated exchange of words when they clashed in the Nottingham quarter-final last year. Dart has only once got the better of Boulter in their early days on the ITF tournament and the No. 1 Brit has too much firepower for Dart.

Prediction: Boulter in straight sets.

 

 

Emily Appleton [Q] v Kimberly Birrell [Q] | H2H: Birrell leads 1-0 (ITF)

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It is the battle of the qualifiers next up as Emily Appleton and Kimberly Birrell do battle. Birrell is having her best run on grass this year than in any other season, so will have a bit more confidence on the green stuff.

And the same can be said for Emily Appleton – perhaps one of the lesser-known Brits in action today. She won four matches in a row in Surbiton to make the quarter-final and then came through qualification here. However, Birrell got the one win over Appleton in their head-to-head in Surbiton on the grass which makes this match up a bit more intriguing.

Prediction: Birrell in three sets.

 

Lily Miyazaki v Linda Fruhvirtova [Q] | H2H: Fruhvirtova leads 0-1

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Czech teen Linda Fruhvirtova looked like she was flying high, cracking the top 50 just last month before a fairly sharp tumble down the rankings. In the flip side, Lily Miyazaki has progressing steadily up the rankings and is a little outside the Top 130 but is looking for a first win this season.

They are not too far apart in the rankings and so this could be one of the closer ones today.

Prediction: Fruhvirtova in straight sets.

 

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