Katie Boulter’s match at the Japan Women's Open was brought to a halt after heavy rainfall wreaked havoc on day three of the tournament in Osaka.
According to Express UK, the WTA 250 event got underway over the weekend, but Boulter had to wait until Monday to get her own campaign up and running.
She was paired against wildcard entrant Himeno Sakatsume in the first round, but no sooner had the match started than the players were forced off court as the heavens opened in Osaka, and given the venue did not have a roof, the court was open to all of the elements.
There was an announcement that play would be suspended for at least an hour, with spectators told to leave the stands. It will come as a source of frustration for Boulter, given she has not played much tennis in recent weeks.
Having lost in the second round of the China Open, and the first round of the Wuhan Open, it means the Brit has managed just three matches since September 30. As the eighth seed at the Japan Women's Open, Boulter will be hoping for a decent run in Osaka, but she was unable to get off to the best of a start.
Granted, only three games had been played in the first set, but Sakatsume led 2-1 at the time of the suspension. Should Boulter manage to turn it around, the 30-year-old will play Viktorija Golubic in the second round following the Swiss stars’ straight-sets win over Mai Hontama.
