Katie Boulter sent a ripple of bemusement through Roland Garros on Friday without hitting a ball, when she revealed the day after leaving her name in the draw that she was withdrawing from the tournament to rest her injured back. Her late withdrawal, however, has cost the Swiss player Stefanie Vöegele a place in the tournament and a guaranteed loser’s fee of about £40,000. “So disappointed to have to pull out of the French Open,” she tweeted. Outsiders, though, have given her serial grief at Roland Garros since 2015, when opponents with a combined ranking of 350 stopped her reaching the second round. In an open field the world No 26 could surprise a few people.

Source: The Guardian May 24, 2019 17:02 UTC