British tennis star Katie Boulter thanked Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk for a complete battle in the final of the WTA San Diego Open. Boulter beat Kostyuk 5-7, 6-2, 6-2 to clinch the title at the Barnes Tennis Centre in San Diego, California.

Boulter clinched her first WTA 500 title in a fiercely contested final against Kostyuk, while also pushing herself into the top-30 for the first time in her career.

Speaking after her win, Boulter called her final against Kostyuk a complete battle, while adding that she’s played incredible tennis throughout the tournament. Prior to her historic win, Boulter’s only other WTA title victory was won in Nottingham just the previous year.

“I don’t know what just happened. This week has been very, very special for so many different reasons. This one is pretty amazing, I’ve worked very hard for it, I played some incredible tennis all week. Today was a complete battle, with myself as well, because I was a little bit nervous. But I managed to get over the line, and that I’m very proud of,” said Boulter.

Boulter’s run-up to the title in San Diego came after an unexpected triumph over third-seeded Emma Navarro of the United States in the semi-finals.

On the other side of the court, Kostyuk, who currently holds a world ranking of 34th, had achieved a notable upset against top-seeded Jessica Pegula to advance to the final. However, Kostyuk found it tough to maintain her lead after winning the opening set against the formidable Boulter.

The final match, delayed by rain, saw Boulter lose the intensely contested first set to Kostyuk on the seventh set point as a result of double faulting. Nevertheless, she battled back from a 5-2 deficit to level at 5-5, and this turn of events ignited a momentum shift in Boulter’s favour entering the second set.

Boulter’s masterful forehand winner down the line gave her a 3-1 advantage, and another break gave her a 5-2 lead, paving the way for her to force a decisive third set. As her Ukrainian adversary began to tire, Boulter’s confidence blossomed. She broke Kostyuk twice before unleashing two decisive aces in the final game.

By converting seven of her 11 break points and saving seven out of the 11 she faced, Boulter’s win lifts her to 27th place in the latest WTA rankings.