An almost unplayable Englishwoman

The moped Volynets is likely to run out of solutions

Let’s be honest, Katie Boulter is currently on another planet. Indoors, where the wind doesn’t interfere with her long limbs, she’s simply unplayable. Her timing is perfect, she takes the ball early, and her forehand slap does serious damage on a surface as quick as Ostrava. She doesn’t just hit hard, she systematically attacks the opponent’s second serve, giving her rivals no breathing room. Her domination against the young Fruhvirtova in the quarterfinals sent a clear message to the rest of the draw: to beat her, you’ll need to play a perfect match.

Up against this steamroller, Katie Volynets will try to play the spoiler. The American lives for these kinds of moments, when she can use her opponent’s power to counter. However, her spot in the semifinals is almost a miracle: Alycia Parks had everything on her racquet in the second set to wrap it up in straight sets, before completely falling apart both physically and mentally. In the third set, Alycia literally imploded on serve, landing only 38% of first serves and handing over 6 fatal double faults. Volynets deserves credit for staying solid, but against a Boulter who won’t give her a second to breathe, she won’t be able to count on such a collapse. The danger for Volynets is physical: after spending hours on court compensating for her lack of power, will her legs hold up well enough to contain a Boulter who seems to be flying around the court?