Katie Boulter out of US Open after error-strewn display against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro

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Katie Boulter pleaded guilty to lacking ambition in her US Open second-round defeat at the hands of world No74 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro, which left her with a disappointing tally of just two victories at the majors this season.
Boulter was strangely passive in her 7-5, 7-5 loss, regularly hitting straight down the middle of the court and giving Bouzas Maneiro the opportunity to shape the pattern of the rallies.
“I feel like I played that match not wanting to lose rather than trying to win,” said Boulter, in an honest piece of self-assessment. “ I think you get caught between not trying to be a charity and kind of making mistakes. But at this level, you’ve got to be aggressive and take it to them. I’m seeded here, and she’s going to have a go at me, if not. You have to stamp your authority.”
Boulter’s exit means that, after an encouraging start, the British women have logged three straight defeats to wipe out any interest in the singles draw.
All three had opportunities in the matches they lost. Emma Raducanu dominated the second set against Sofia Kenin, Harriet Dart brought up five set points against Marta Kostyuk, and Boulter missed a straightforward forehand that would have given her a one-set lead,
So what went wrong? Well, Boulter echoed Raducanu by acknowledging that her preparation had been sub-optimal, even if the explanation was very different.
In Raducanu’s case, she had skipped the Olympics on the grounds that she wanted to take care of her body, but then ended up coming into the US Open with precious little match-time behind her.
Boulter, meanwhile, had gone through the various shifts in surface and clearly felt as though she arrived here without her usual energy. Her movement was not at its best in either match that she played, and while she survived the opening-round encounter with Aliaksandra Sasnovich on sheer grit, she couldn’t match the intensity of Bouzas Maneiro.
“I have to win these matches,” said Boulter. “It’s a no-brainer for me. But I also don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, because you can start thinking about just winning the match instead of the actual process of it. And I actually felt like I did that a bit today. I was trying to put the ball in the court and make her play instead of me playing my game.”
It’s easy to forget how inexperienced Boulter is at this level. Despite having recently turned 28, she has won only 12 singles matches at the slams in her career. Until a year ago, she had barely qualified for the main draw of a single event.
Now, suddenly, she finds herself with a seeding – 31 at this event – and a reputation to defend. This was clearly a learning experience, and one that Sky Sports pundit Tim Henman felt that she would benefit from studying closely. 
“It’s errors,” said Henman, when asked to explain the outcome. “It’s not a good performance in the second round of a grand slam. This is a match she should win… fairly routinely. If she sits down and watches the match with her team it would not be a good watch but she would learn a lot.”  
The statistics certainly made for ugly reading, with Boulter clocking up 33 unforced errors to only 17 winners. The equivalent figures for Bouzas Maneiro were 36 and 21, which are not much preferable, but do at least demonstrate that the Spaniard was the more positive player.  
Katie Boulter is OUT of the US Open ❌The British number one lost in straight sets to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro pic.twitter.com/OjyYgdp4R9
Errors continue to hurt Boulter and she slips to 30-15. Maneiro ace, two match points.
Maneiro goes way long and double faults, 40-30. Boulter shanks a forehand out of the court. GAME SET MATCH MANEIRO!
Having worked her way back into the match, Boulter falls to 0-30 after two unforced errors. Terrible backhand into the net by Boulter and she’s down 15-40.
Oh no! Boulter double faults. She chucks her racket to the ground and slowly walks to her chair. Maneiro will serve for the match again.
Maneiro slips to 0-30 and has lost 10 of the last 11 points. She then sprays a forehand wide and gives Boulter three break points at 0-40.
Maniero backhand wide. Boulter breaks and levels the set. The utter conviction Maneiro was showing has disappeared but Boulter won’t care.
Can she keep this up to steal the set and force a decider?
All of a sudden, Boulter is playing with belief and Maneiro is tightening up with the finish line approaching.
Boulter holds to love and Maneiro has another chance to serve for the match.
Must win game for Boulter and Maneiro shows signs of nerves as she double faults to give Boulter two break points.
Maneiro forehand long and Boulter does break back. This match isn’t over yet.
Stunning from Maneiro to hit a forehand winner down the line and brings up two break points.
One-two combo by Boulter works as her forehand winner catches the sideline. But it is only a temporary relief as Maneiro steps in on a short ball and crushes a forehand winner to break Boulter again.
Maneiro will serve for the match next.
Maneiro restores her cushion with another comfortable service hold. Boulter will need to produce something special to deny Maneiro I think.
Boulter needs a hold of serve with ease to build her confidence. Except Maneiro is making her work for every point. 
Maneiro finds the sideline with a short angled backhand winner, deuce. Boulter hits her 24th unforced error and her frustration at the moment is evident.
She tries to mix things up with a drop shot but executes it poorly. Boulter forehand long and Maneiro gets a break point. Tired point by Boulter but she survives when Maneiro hits a forehand well wide. 
Great defence by Maneiro, making Boulter hit an extra and the Briton tamely nets a drive forehand to give away another break point.
A let off for Boulter as Maneiro’s return goes long, deuce. Boulter backhand down the line and she crucially she holds serve.
Boulter needs to make a move here to get some momentum but Maneiro continues to produce the goods, leaping into a forehand that flies past Boulter for a winner, 30-15.
She then follows it with a forehand winner down the line and consolidates the break with an ace down the T.
Really impressive tennis from the Spaniard.
Maneiro is well on top here and moves to 0-30 with a forehand winner. She then gets three break points when Boulter dumps a forehand into the net.
Deep Maneiro return and Boulter places a backhand into the net. Awful service game by the Briton, who is in big trouble here.
Explosive backhand winner by Boulter makes it 15-30. Huge forehand by Boulter speeds past Maneiro, 30-40. Another poor return by Boulter and Maneiro survives the break point.
Boulter’s failure to get returns in play has cost her so far and Maneiro escapes the game with her serve.
Boulter needs a straightforward service game to start this set but a forehand into the net means she is down 15-30.
She recovers to lead 40-30 when Maneiro hits a forehand long. And wins the game after another Maneiro forehand error.
Too many unforced errors, not enough free points on serve and general sloppiness has put Boulter on the back foot in this set.
But credit to Maneiro for hanging tough and staying in the set. She gets three set points after a backhand winner and takes it when Boulter makes another return error.
Work to do for Boulter.
Katie Boulter loses the first set against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 👀 pic.twitter.com/odb1H7hjr2
Boulter not having it all her own way on serve at the moment and a backhand into the net gives Maneiro a break point at 30-40.
One of the longest rallies of the set, Maneiro pulls Boulter wide, gets a short ball and fires a forehand winner into the open court.
Maneiro breaks and will serve for the set.
Boulter mixes her pace up with a sliced forehand and Maneiro flicks a backhand long, 15-30. Boulter goes for too much on the return and nets, 30-30. 
Maneiro forehand long gives Boulter a set point. Loose forehand by Boulter as the ball sails long. Deuce. Bad miss that.
Good defence by Boulter to stay in the rally and lift a lob over Maneiro, who chases back and manages to reset the point by slicing a forehand back into the play. The point is neutralised but Boulter fails to stay patient and blasts a backhand wide. 
Opportunity missed by Boulter there.
Maneiro has come alive and growing in confidence which is not good news for Boulter. But the Briton is able to get back in front in the set when Maneiro nets a forehand.
If Boulter can raise her level in the next game, she can take the set.
Maneiro is up to 14 unforced errors as she slips to 0-30 on serve again. But she is relieved to get to 30-all after two unreturned serves.
Maneiro backhand lands on the baseline which catches out Boulter, who I think thought the ball would bounce long.
Another Maneiro error makes it deuce. Boulter’s forehand lets her down and Maneiro survives to level the set.
First double fault by Boulter makes it 15-30. Good length and power on her forehand by Boulter and Maneiro’s own forehand goes long, 30-30.
Ambitious backhand down the line by Boulter is well wide, break point Maneiro. Another backhand error by Boulter and Maneiro breaks straight back.
Poor service game by Boulter.
Boulter is doing a good job of pushing Maneiro deep behind the baseline. Another Maneiro double fault makes it 0-30. 
Maneiro backhand into the net and Boulter has two break points. Pressure from Boulter is relentless, rushing Maneiro, who flicks a forehand wide.
Boulter breaks.
Classic one-two combination by Boulter with a flat first serve followed by a forehand winner, 40-0. Maneiro dumps a backhand into the net and Boulter holds.
Boulter has dropped just two points on serve so far.
An opening for Boulter at 15-30 but she hits a forehand return long, 30-all. Poor forehand into the tramlines by Boulter after multiple chances to win the point, 40-30.
And Maneiro comes through another service game when Boulter nets a forehand.
Boulter’s strong start on serve continues as she holds to love and marches confidently to her chair.
Boulter’s other major weapon is her forehand and you get the sense Maneiro is wary of it as she hits a double fault to make it 30-30.
A deep Boulter return rushes Maneiro into an error and opens up a break point chance. But the Spaniard sees off the danger with an unreturned first serve.
And Maneiro comes through that scare to hold when Boulter overhits a forehand long.
Boulter’s strength is her serve and she gets up and running with a couple of unreturned serves to hold to 15.
This is a very winnable match for the Briton. Needs to stamp her authority on the match early on.
Boulter and Bouzas Maneiro walk on court for their second round match. Forecast is mild and very different from the hot and humid conditions from the opening three days of the tournament.
Bouzas Maneiro won the toss and chose to receive. Match to get underway very shortly!
Here come the players 🤩Katie Boulter is in action against Jessica Bouzas Maneiro ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/Oyrtvzy8xT
Hello and welcome to coverage from the US Open as Katie Boulter bids to reach the third round.
The British No 1 came from a set down to beat Belarussian Aliaksandra Sasnovich 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 on Tuesday and faces Spaniard Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
Boulter has never made it past the third round of a grand slam and says she is determined to get over that hurdle.
“It’s where you get the biggest (ranking) points,” she said.
“I do think it’s important that I start making moves in bigger tournaments because if I want to go from 30 to 20, there’s a huge jump and if I want to go from 20 to 10, there’s a massive jump. So for me, it’s about looking at where I can start gaining bigger points.
“And obviously I’m going to have to play better, but I do feel like I’ve got that game to do that. It’s just about putting it in these weeks and prioritising them a little bit more, which is something that I just haven’t done before.
“It’s been more about racking the points up, getting as far as you can go with it and see what your body can withstand. But now for me, it’s about picking and choosing a little bit more, but obviously taking care of the most important thing as well.”
A showdown against Emma Raducanu is off after the 2021 US Open champion was beaten on Tuesday.
“It definitely feels different,” Boulter said about playing as a seed in tournaments. “It is a role that I am getting used to. I think there are always little perks that you get being seeded. You work for those moments and you work for those byes in those tournaments … It’s not a massive goal for me, [but] it is important to keep moving up the rankings. If I’m going up the seeds, then I’m headed in the right direction … and it’s a privilege to be in that position. It just means that I’m playing good tennis.”