A Leicestershire tennis player, who’s currently competing at Wimbledon, dedicated her stunning centre court triumph yesterday to her grandmother who died just 48 hours earlier.
Katie Boulter, the British number three, almost took the roof off centre court yesterday (Thursday, June 30), with an upset win over the former world No 1 Karolina Pliskovo, who hails from the Czech Republic.
Boulter, who comes from Woodhouse Eves, thrilled the home crowd by coming from a set down to win 3-6 7-6 (4) 6-4.
Following the win, the 25-year-old revealed that her beloved gran Jill Gartshore had passed away just 48 hours previously.
Addressing the crowd tearfully, after reaching the third round for the first time, Katie said: “I’m going to get emotional. My gran passed away two days ago so I’d like to dedicate that to her.
“The crowd was unbelievable.”
“Thank you so much for getting me through that. It’s a dream come true. If I can have you behind me, I can go a long way.”
Ms Boulter revealed that she had spoken to her grandpa the night before the match.
“He didn’t mention anything, but he kind of gave me the inkling that it might be coming. I didn’t know anything until after my first match where my mum basically pulled me aside and told me after the first match,” she said.
“It’s been a tough few days for sure. I’ve tried to kind of get my emotions out and deal with the situation, try and keep my head on the tennis. I was lucky because my grandpa managed to come down from Leicester, so we could keep him company and keep supporting him at the same time.”
Boulter’s win of her career came after she triumphed over France’s Clara Burel on Tuesday night.
Her next match will take place tomorrow (Saturday, July 2), when she is set to face French player Harmony Tan.
