Britain's Katie Boulter shrugged off the weather disruption to dominate Himeno Sakatsume and move into the next round at the Japan Open.
Katie Boulter began her Japan Open campaign with a statement. The British player dominated Himeno Sakatsume in a first-round match disrupted by rain, and she looked in control for most of the contest.
Weather interruptions can derail a player's rhythm, especially in an opening match when she is still finding her feet on court. Boulter handled the stop-start conditions well. She kept her intensity high and did not let Sakatsume build any lasting momentum.
Sakatsume, a home-nation competitor, had the local support behind her. Boulter's power and composure proved too much, and she turned the pressure into a convincing result.
The win puts Boulter into the second round of the tournament with confidence and some early match play behind her. Her next opponent will need to start sharply, because on this showing she is in no mood to hang around.
