Katie Boulter is through to the third round of the Miami Open after her opponent, Clara Tauson, suddenly retired early in the third set of their match. It’s been a long day for both women – they took to the court shortly after 2pm local time (6pm GMT) and had to stop playing multiple times due to the rain. It was 5pm local time (9pm GMT) when Tauson ultimately decided she couldn’t continue.

Boulter took an early lead over the No. 17 seed but was broken when serving for the first set at 5-4. Tauson took it in a tiebreak and led by an early break in set two, but the British No. 3 stormed back to take it 6-4 and force a decider. Boulter held to go 1-0 up in the decider and had a break point on Tauson’s serve when the Danish star suddenly called the physio mid-game, shaking her head and packing her bags.

Boulter came over to speak to her rival, and Sky Sports commentators Naomi Cavaday and Jodie Burrage confirmed the two were good friends off the court. The world No. 67 then sat down next to Tauson at her bench, and they laughed together before Boulter returned to pack her own things and leave the court. The Brit is now through to the third round, where she will face either 13th seed Karolina Muchova or Camila Osorio.

It’s already been a successful tournament for Boulter, who avenged a previous tough loss to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro in the first round. Although it’s not the way she would have wanted to win on Friday, Boulter also dug deep to turn things around against Tauson after blowing the first set.

“I actually didn’t expect it at all. I think the only time I saw her really struggling was the last game, where she was kind of rolling the serve in, and I was a bit confused, to be honest,” Boulter later told Sky Sports. “I wish her the best because it’s really not nice to be injured, and it’s not fun at all. But it was a complete battle and some ugly tennis, but it’s ugly conditions as well, so you’ve got to kind of find a way. Unfortunately, she couldn’t finish, but it is what it is.

“I had a few frustrations boiling after the first set and I could’ve easily gone down quickly after that. But I managed to regroup at 2-0, that was a huge game to go 2-1. I’m really pleased with the way mentally I fought today, because it could have easily gone the other way. I feel like I just tried to stay out there as long as possible and keep fighting, and kudos to me. I mean, I managed to do that, and I got a retirement out of it. Obviously, never the way you want to win, but I’m happy to be through to the next round.”

The Brit is already guaranteed to pick up 65 ranking points for reaching the third round – she lost her opening match here last year, so had nothing to defend – and should jump at least a couple of places in the rankings.

It’s great progress for Boulter, who dropped outside of the world’s top 120 at the beginning of February. She’s since been back on the rise and lifted her fourth career trophy in Ostrava last month. Boulter also reached the quarter-finals in Merida but lost in Indian Wells qualifying earlier this month.

Elsewhere on Friday, No. 6 seed Amanda Anisimova survived a scare to beat Ajla Tomljanovic 6-1 5-7 6-4. Anisimova had a match point on Tomljanovic’s serve in the second set, but couldn’t take it, and the match was rained off. Tomljanovic stole the second set when play resumed, and broke to stay in the match when Anisimova served for it. But the two-time Grand Slam finalist still got the job done.

And one year after earning her first tour-level win here as a wildcard ranked down at No. 162 in the world, teenage sensation Victoria Mboko returned to the Miami Open as the world No. 10, breezing past Anna Blinkova 6-2 6-0 to win her opening match.

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