Katie Boulter’s strong run in Hong Kong came to a brutal end on Sunday when she was thoroughly outplayed in the final by the top seed, Diana Shnaider, who dismantled the British No 1 player 6-1, 6-2 to win her fourth WTA title of the season.
Boulter, the second seed, was outgunned from the beginning by Shnaider, a strong left-hander with a heavy forehand. As Shnaider continually took the first strike and forced Boulter into uncomfortable positions around the court, she exposed the vulnerable points of Boulter’s game. The Briton overpressed, she lost confidence in her serve and she had no alternative plan against a relentless opponent.
Having won four titles this year, Shnaider, who is Russian, continues to establish herself as one of the most promising young players on the tour. From her ranking of No 108 in January this year, she will rise to a career high of No 12.
A month younger than Coco Gauff, the 20-year-old Shnaider is now the youngest player inside the top 15. Most of her best results have come at the smaller WTA events, however, meaning the next step in her career will be to perform consistently well at the biggest tournaments in the world.
Despite ending her season with such a one-sided defeat, the past two weeks have marked significant progress for Boulter. After struggling in the second half of the year, her decision to play an extended swing in Asia, while other top‑30 players opted to return home, and she rebounded with a WTA 500 event, and then a final in Hong Kong, which is a WTA 250 event