‘I expect to get stronger’ – Katie Boulter reflects on tough turnaround after defeat to Lin Zhu in Birmingham

Katie Boulter insists the champagne remains firmly on ice despite her stunning start to the British grass court season.

Boulter, who is a graduate of the LTA’s Pro Scholarship Programme, embarked on a brilliant run to the semi-finals in Surbiton earlier this month, before her triumph in the battle of the Brits against Jodie Burrage at the weekend cemented her status as Britain’s highest-ranked player.

The Leicester star did not get carried away after that confident straight sets victory, and hopes a strong run at Wimbledon can lay the platform for a long-awaited summer celebration.

Boulter, who lost 7-5 7-5 to world No.39 Zhu, said: “No we didn’t [celebrate after Nottingham].

“I had a nice team dinner and was actually getting treatment during that dinner, so it wasn’t anything irregular.

“I’m sure I’m going to take that time [to celebrate] once I’ve competed all these weeks at the end of the season and after Wimbledon, I’ll make sure I have a nice team dinner again.

“It was obviously a tough match today and I knew coming in here I would be on the back foot body-wise, which is actually a place I want to be.

“I didn’t want to skip a week, I gave everything I had but was unfortunately on the losing side.

“I was very well-prepared and I played four matches in Surbiton, a whole week in Nottingham and it’s an accumulation of multiple events, but it’s a great problem to have.

“It’s been a great couple of weeks and it was a close one today, a tough turnaround but I expect to fight stronger and the more I have these situations, the stronger I get.”

Elsewhere in Birmingham on Tuesday, Harriet Dart triumphed in another all-British battle with a hard-fought three-set win over Burrage.

Dart, 26, fought back from a set down to beat her compatriot 4-6 6-2 7-5 in a gruelling two-hour slugfest to book her place in the second round.

Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko edged her way past Linda Noskova 6-2 5-7 6-1, while eighth seed Sorana Cirstea beat her fellow Romanian Ana Bogdan 6-4 2-6 6-3.

And at the LTA’s cinch Championships at Queen’s, Birmingham’s Dan Evans bounced back from his first round singles defeat to clinch a straight sets men’s doubles victory alongside Lloyd Glasspool.

The British No.2, 33, lost in straight sets to Sebastian Korda on Monday but toppled compatriots Liam Broady and Jonny O’ Mara 24 hours later to keep his doubles hopes alive.