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Ros Satar
Katie Boulter in the first round of the Lexus Nottingham Open, UK
Katie Boulter in the first round of the Lexus Nottingham Open, UK | (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images for LTA)

Tennis | WTA Nottingham 2025 | Katie Boulter battles past Sonay Kartal to set up a quarter-final against McCartney Kessler

Britwatch Team
Tennis

By Ros Satar

  • Katie Boulter [8] v McCartney Kessler
  • H2H: First Meeting
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – And then there was one – defending champion Katie Boulter is the last Brit standing in the singles as she faces USA’s McCartney Kessler in the quarter-final.

 

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Katie Boulter [8] v McCartney Kessler | H2H & Match Fundamentals

Katie Boulter [8] v Sonay Kartal H2H: First Meeting
WTA Nottingham UK
Grass Prize Money: $6,815
Third on Centre Court, not before 1:30pm Across BBC iPlayer & Red Button

The three-peat is still on despite Katie Boulter being tested well by fellow Billie Jean King Cup team-mate Sonay Kartal. Boulter was forced into a decider and had to fight off points for a double-break cushion for Kartal.

She had to dig deep on the hottest day in the UK so far, to get over the line and keep the dream of a three-peat alive. She will face McCartney Kessler, who is just a few places behind her in the rankings.

 

Tale of the Tape – Key Stats (Grass – 2025)

Embed from Getty Images

H2H: Katie Boulter (WR 39) McCartney Kessler (WR 42)
Tournament Previous Best Title (2023, 2024) Debut
1st Serve Return Points Won % 39.1 36.4
Return Points Won % 43.7 400
Break Point Conversion % 90.0 66.7
Break Points Saved % 59.3 25.0
Overall Service Points Won % 54.1 62.2

 

Playing Style and Prediction

Kessler will want to put both her aggressive and defensive capabilities to work to try and disrupt Boulter’s likely grip from the baseline. Boulter has worked hard on her movement, and has been rewarded with more consistency on court, and her subsequent rise up the rankings.

They have the same amount of time on grass thus far, but Boulter is quite literally at her home tournament, having grown up not far from Nottingham, and a crowd behind her will have to count as an extra man. Kessler downed Fran Jones in the opening round at Queen’s Club last week and is very unlikely to be swayed by cheers and clinking glasses of Pimms, so this is not going to be a walk in the park.

Prediction: Boulter in three sets.

 

 

How to Watch/Follow WTA Nottingham

TV Across BBC iPlayer & Red Button
Live Stream/Reporting BBC Sport