Australian Open: Kudermetova upsets Boulter as Briton stumbles early again

Russian Veronika Kudermetova won against No 22 seed Katie Boulter 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-2 to move into the third round of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.

It is the fifth consecutive Grand Slam tournament that Boulter has fallen at the second-round hurdle or earlier in what is a disappointing opening major of the year for her after such consistently impressive displays elsewhere on tour.

For Kudermetova, she puts a difficult 2024 behind her with a first appearance in the third round of a Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open.

Kudermetova, ranked No 75, will play Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia, the No 15 seed, next.

Ahead of her victory, the Russian beat Australian Olivia Gadecki (6-1, 6-1).

Boulter, ranked No 25, edged out Canadian Rebecca Marino (6-4, 3-6, 7-5) in the previous round of the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2025 season.

Melbourne (Grand Slam), other second-round results (Melbourne Park, hard, USD 60.627.573, most recent results first):

• Renata Zarazua vs. Jasmine Paolini
• Destanee Aiava vs. Danielle Collins: thursday
• Madison Keys vs. Elena-Gabriela Ruse: thursday
• Elina Svitolina (28) beat Caroline Dolehide: 6-1, 6-4
• Jaqueline Cristian beat Lucia Bronzetti: 7-5, 7-5
• Beatriz Haddad Maia beat Erika Andreeva: 6-2, 6-3
• Eva Lys (LL) beat Varvara Gracheva: 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
• Elena Rybakina (6) beat Iva Jovic (WC): 6-0, 6-3
• Yulia Putintseva (24) beat Shuai Zhang (WC): 6-2, 6-1
• Iga Swiatek (2) beat Rebecca Sramkova: 6-0, 6-2
• Emma Navarro (8) beat Xiyu Wang: 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
• Emma Raducanu beat Amanda Anisimova: 6-3, 7-5
• Daria Kasatkina (9) beat Yafan Wang: 6-2, 6-0
• Ons Jabeur beat Camila Osorio: 7-5, 6-3
• Dayana Yastremska (32) beat Danka Kovinic: 6-0, 6-1
• Paula Badosa (11) beat Talia Gibson (WC): 6-1, 6-0
• Donna Vekic (18) beat Harriet Dart (LL): 4-6, 6-0, 6-2
• Marta Kostyuk (17) beat Jule Niemeier: 6-3, 6-0
• Coco Gauff (3) beat Jodie Burrage: 6-3, 7-5
• Diana Shnaider (12) beat Ajla Tomljanovic (WC): 6-4, 7-5
• Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (27) beat Anastasia Potapova: 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-2
• Leylah Fernandez (30) beat Cristina Bucsa: 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
• Naomi Osaka beat Karolina Muchova (20): 1-6, 6-1, 6-3
• Belinda Bencic beat Suzan Lamens: 6-1, 7-6 (3)
• Jessica Pegula (7) beat Elise Mertens: 6-4, 6-2
• Olga Danilovic beat Liudmila Samsonova (25): 6-1, 6-2
• Mirra Andreeva (14) beat Moyuka Uchijima: 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (8)
• Magdalena Frech (23) beat Anna Blinkova: 0-6, 6-0, 6-2
• Clara Tauson beat Tatjana Maria: 6-2, 6-2
• Aryna Sabalenka (1) beat Jessica Bouzas Maneiro: 6-3, 7-5
• Laura Siegemund beat Qinwen Zheng (5): 7-6 (3), 6-3