TENNIS: WIMBLEDON SPECIAL K
BRITISH No.1 Katie Boulter admits she and Aussie boyfriend Alex de Minaur are fighting to keep their competitive nature at bay when it comes to The Ashes.
The pair are holed up in a house in Wimbledon with both of their families for the duration of the Championships and, as such, there’s plenty of playful chat about the battle for the world’s most famous urn.
Laughing, Boulter said: “Actually, we were talking about the cricket the other day.
“We’re quite a competitive couple in many different ways, but we try to keep it together for The Ashes.
“We’re not staying at home, we’re staying in a house – the whole team, the whole family, everyone is together.
“This is the nicest tournament for me because everyone is together, so his full family come over, we all get to spend a lot of time with each other.
“I’m not at home but I still feel like I am because I’m five or 10 minutes away, and have the option of popping out whenever I want to.
“And it’s the little things – I know where the closest coffee shop is, I know where the stringers are nearby, the ones I normally use. Just the little things I do that make you feel really good to be here.
“Even coming here, I’m lucky enough to access Wimbledon during the year and it makes me feel so much more comfortable because I feel like this is a place I can call home as well.”
During his march to the Queen’s final last weekend, De Minaur spoke about Boulter inspiring him, but she says it cuts both ways.
Boulter, who faces Russia-born Aussie Daria Saville in the first round on Tuesday, added: “I feel like we continually push each other. There’s a lot I’ve learned from him as a person and as a player as well. I’m very lucky in that aspect to have an insider who plays tennis and knows the emotions I go through on and off the court.
“So I always try to learn from him, he’s an incredible player – and as you can see with his ranking, he does it week in, week out.
“I have a lot to learn from him, so I do my best to try to watch what he does and emulate it.”
Boulter’s fellow Brit,
Heather Watson, has already kicked her car insurers’ backsides – and now she’s ready to do the same to Czech player Barbora
Krejcikova on
Tuesday.
Watson had her
Range Rover stolen last month. And she said: “The police found it three weeks ago – it just doesn’t work, it has had its wiring changed.
“Look, nobody was hurt, there are worse things going on in the world, but now, oh my goodness, what a nightmare with all the insurance stuff.
“I called the insurance firm and asked for an update and they had done nothing. So I gave them a kick up the bum and they did something. They are putting it into the garage now.
“I have a replacement car, a
Corsa, but only for a period of time.
“That is why I gave them a kick up the a**e!”