Gout Gout's staggering Olympics call as Aussie denied world record in cruel anomaly
Gout Gout has declared he knows he's got what it takes to become a world and Olympic champion, after burning up the track at the Australian athletics championships in Perth. On a huge weekend for Australian athletics, Gout made history in Perth as discus thrower Matt Denny was cruelly denied a world record in America despite beating the previous mark.
Denny smashed his personal best three times in three days at the Oklahoma Throws Series World Invitational in Ramona, and recoded a 74.78m on Sunday (Monday Australian time). That effort was better than Mykolas Alekna's world record mark of 74.35m - which he managed at the same event last year to break the record that had stood since 1986.
The only problem for Denny and his world record attempt was that Alekna went even further. The 22-year-old from Lithuania produced monster throws of 74.89m on his opening attempt and 75.56m in the fourth round.
74.78m answer from Matty Denny. He'll need the second 75+m throw in world history to unseat Alekna in r6. pic.twitter.com/vVssf8S9Nw
— Paul Hof-Mahoney (@phofmahoney) April 13, 2025
The Olympic silver and bronze medallists took advantage of favourable conditions in Ramona - a venue beloved by throwers due to the gusty conditions and favourable tail-winds. Unlike in track events, there's no legal limit on how strong a tail-wind can be in discus.
THE FIRST 75M THROW BY A MAN EVER!MYKOLAS ALEKNA, 75.56M!!!! pic.twitter.com/jRkbOYGbu8
— Paul Hof-Mahoney (@phofmahoney) April 13, 2025
Despite bettering the previous world record but walking away empty handed, Denny enjoyed a remarkable week in the US. It more than justified his decision to skip the Australian championships in Perth.
The 28-year-old finally crashed through the 70-metre barrier for the first time in his career last weekend with 72.07m. He improved that PB again with 74.25m three days ago - also in Oklahoma.
Denny has claimed gold at the past two Diamond League finals, bronze at the Paris Olympics last year and also finished in the top six at the three most recent editions of the world championships. He will be among Australia's leading gold-medal hopes at September's world titles in Tokyo.
Meanwhile, Gout is vowing to get even better and become an Olympic gold medallist one day after the 17-year-old made more worldwide headlines in Perth by going under 10 seconds in the 100m and under 20s in the 200. Neither of the runs count as official times because the tail-winds were above the allowed mark of two metres per second on every occasion.
He did 9.99 twice in the 100m on Thursday and 19.84 in the 200 on Sunday, but the illegal winds mean Gout's quest to officially go sub-10 and sub-20 is still ongoing. But the confidence he gained by unofficially breaking those barriers in the one meet is priceless.
"These are the steps you take to the top, and the steps I have to take to potentially become a world champion or an Olympic champion," he said. "So if I can get these little steps, focus on the little things, I think I can take it far."
Australian sprinting is on the verge of a golden era - and the national championships was further proof of that. Lachie Kennedy, Rohan Browning, Leah O'Brien and Torrie Lewis all impressed, showing the future of the sport is in safe hands.
Browning regained his mantle as Australia's sprint king and showed he has plenty left in the tank, pipping young gun Kennedy in the men's open 100m. Kennedy was then set to battle Gout in the 200m (Gout only ran the 100m in the Under-20 category) before being disqualified for a false start.
Gout's fellow 17-year-old O'Brien announced herself as a star in the making, breaking the Australian under-18 girls record in the 100m that had been held by sprinting icon Raelene Boyle since 1968. She backed that up with an 11.24 in the women's open 100m final on Saturday night, only to be pipped by four thousandths of a second by national record holder Lewis.
And Peter Bol wound back the clock in the men's 800m final with a national record of 1:43.79. The stunning win marked a huge statemnt ahead of the world championships, and showed Bol is back to his best after a tumultuous period.
BOL BACK ON TOP 😤Peter Bol breaks the national record on his way to a national championship!🎬 https://t.co/bOYZZUfUdU pic.twitter.com/kAyimtaPkS
— 7Sport (@7Sport) April 13, 2025
with AAP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
19 minutes ago
- New York Times
Watch: Sue Bird discusses Caitlin Clark's passing and WNBA ownership
Few names are more synonymous with basketball excellence than Sue Bird. A four-time WNBA champion, Bird spent her entire 20-year career with the Seattle Storm, where she earned a record 13 WNBA All-Star selections, made eight All-WNBA teams, won five Olympic gold medals, and still holds the league's all-time assists record with 3,234. Advertisement And on Saturday, she'll be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame at the Tennessee Theatre. Bird has remained just as impactful off the court since her retirement in 2022. She became part-owner of the Storm in April 2024 after joining the team's ownership group, Force 10 Hoops. In May, she was appointed as the first managing director of the USA women's national team. If that wasn't enough, the 44-year-old is also making waves in podcasting. She co-hosts 'A Touch More' with her wife, former soccer star Megan Rapinoe, and hosts her women's basketball-focused show, 'Bird's Eye View.' On the latest episode of 'No Offseason,' Zena Keita and Ben Pickman interviewed Bird to discuss WNBA media, her passion for podcasting, the unique perspective she brings to team ownership, and what makes Caitlin Clark such a special passer. A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on the 'No Offseason' feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Keita: Sue, you officially retired in 2022, but you haven't really fully stepped away from the game and you've been very much involved since your retirement. One of the biggest things you've been doing since is podcasting, and you've inserted your voice in a unique way into the world of women's basketball. When you think about the media landscape right now, we know there's been a boom. … You know what it was like when there wasn't that much interest in your practices or games, and now everyone wants to get in there. So what do you see in the media landscape right now when it comes to women's basketball? Bird: Obviously, there's been a ton of growth, which is something we always wanted. It wasn't that we didn't have any coverage, but it was just that we didn't have enough, and now that's starting to enter into the picture. The way I refer to it is like an ecosystem. Think about what happened as the WNBA boomed in the last year or two. This ecosystem grew and more people were coming into it, but we didn't have a balance. We didn't have enough people who really understood the league, who knew the league, knew its history, knew why certain things would happen, why certain wouldn't, and had a true understanding of it. I think that's where I come into play, and not just myself, but other former players who are doing this and people like yourselves who are involved in women's basketball. Advertisement It's important to balance that ecosystem and to have an understanding, because with all the influx of people who were new to women's basketball, they were getting some of the narratives wrong. Some of them were just off, meaning those narratives took on a life of their own at times, and there wasn't something to counteract it, and there wasn't that balance. So the more that starts to increase, and as those of us who really know the game start to get larger platforms, it can all exist. Because sadly in our world today, you do need the hot take, you do need the wrong take, and you need to have these conversations to really get to the bottom of things. But what was missing was accuracy I would say. Keita: Exactly, and I imagine that's what you want to bring with 'Bird's Eye View.' I've been really enjoying that content, and particularly the accuracy you just mentioned where you're allowing players to tell their stories themselves, and provide that perspective and narrative themselves. Was that the impetus for why you launched your podcast? To be able to give players that lane that maybe you remember missing as a player? Or were you even hearing in the ecosystem from players saying, 'I really wish I could talk to a former player as opposed to a media member.' Is that one of the things that 'Bird's Eye View' wants to address? Bird: Yeah, partly, a lot of what I said about the ecosystem was more pertinent to 'A Touch More' because that's kind of how it got started. Then as we were doing that show, we talked about all different sports across the board, but obviously the WNBA and women's basketball was something we tapped into a lot. But I just found that I wanted to go deeper, and I wanted to talk about it more. And what I'm finding now as I'm doing it, is what you're saying, which is that I just really love having these conversations with players. I do think there's that element of being a former player where I'm able to disarm in a different way. But I also know that these players know I'm not trying to get any 'got you' moments, and I'm not trying to catch them out with anything. I'm just trying to have a real conversation. And I do think it gives them a chance to really talk about things and have somebody who can connect, relate and hopefully leave space for them to tell their side. So I've been really enjoying it and I'm having a lot of fun with it. I do have a couple of minutes on each side of the interview where I get to talk about the specific basketball things I want to talk about. Sometimes it's players, teams, themes, whatever it is. But for the most part, it's really just letting these players have that space. Pickman: Sue, when we had Candace Parker on the show, she talked about sometimes needing to take the white gloves off and the importance of that in the ecosystem. What are your thoughts on how media can do things differently, or about the idea of being fair but also critical when the situation warrants it? Advertisement Bird: Fair but critical is a great way of saying it, and that's something that not just Candace and I have talked about, but really all of us have for a long time. There wasn't a lot of critique, and in fairness to everyone who's been around for 20-plus years, it felt too risky to critique at times because it was so easy for so long to jump on that critique and then paint it across the whole league. If you said one bad thing about one thing, that was it: the whole league had no value. So it felt risky. But I do think we're now getting into this place where you can have both. But the important part is to be fair while also critical; both have to exist. And like I said, no 'we got you' moments, but real conversations. And in those real conversations come shooting slumps, come a game or a play where you look back and wish you did something different, or maybe a relationship with a teammate you wish you handled differently. Those are just real conversations. Pickman: You've mentioned some of your conversations with players, but I'm also curious about your conversations with ownership. We know you have an ownership stake in the Seattle Storm, and obviously there's an ongoing CBA negotiation. What have you learned about being on that side of the business? Have you talked to Ginny Gilder, Lisa Brummel, and the other members of the Storm ownership group about the ongoing negotiation? And what do you bring to the mix in terms of those talks? Bird: Yeah, I definitely do stay in touch with them, and what I'm bringing is what I knew I was going to bring the minute I became an owner just over a year ago. Which is I'm on the ownership side of things, but I have a player's perspective and that's unique. At times, I'm able to learn from the ownership group because I don't know that side as well. But then I'm also able to provide a little bit of understanding and nuance on what a player might be thinking in certain situations or certain moments. It's just a really good balance. And at the end of the day, I actually don't feel that much different being on this side as opposed to the player side. We all just want a great deal, and we just want this league to succeed, period, point blank. Pickman: You're the all-time leader in assists, and we have some great passers in the league right now. Courtney Vandersloot unfortunately tore her ACL this past weekend, and she's one of the all-time great passers too. But Caitlin Clark is very much on pace it seems to chase down your record one day. Bird: These records have no chance because they play way more games now. I don't want to get too caught up in the games played because it is what it is. I don't feel any way about it because records are meant to be broken. But I played 34 games for the majority of my career. So the players today are on the clock with these records, they better break those things in like five years. Pickman: Very true, and they probably will. But I wanted to ask, what makes Caitlin Clark so special as a passer in your mind? And what separates her as a passer compared to all her peers? Bird: The important thing to recognize here with Caitlin, and this conversation is we're not even bringing her name up unless she has incredible court vision, and unless she has the type of vision where she's able to anticipate and read. What I would add to that and what I think separates her, on top of all the qualities that most great passers have, is that she has strength. Sometimes she's able to make passes not because she sees it or because she's reading the defense — yes, those things exist, but that's not why she's able to make the pass — she's able to make the pass because she can actually get it there. The easiest way to see it is with her full-court passes, but they also happen in the half-court. Sometimes she'll have picked her dribble up, somebody will cut, and she still has the zip to get a backdoor pass off the bounce to her teammate on time. I would add that strength as a differentiator to some of the other great passers we've seen. You can listen to full episodes of No Offseason for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube. (Top Photo:for Fast Company)
USA Today
20 minutes ago
- USA Today
Former Longhorn punter earns record NFL contract
Former Longhorn punter earns record NFL contract Micheal Dickson rewarded with massive extension Former Longhorn star Michael Dickson is once again the highest-paid punter in the NFL. On Tuesday, Dickson signed a four-year, $16.2 million extension with the Seattle Seahawks. His extension came less than 24 hours after Jacksonville Jaguars punter Logan Cooke signed a four-year, $16 million extension. During his NFL career, the Australian native has been a human highlight reel with his leg. In seven seasons, Dickson has averaged 48.2 yards per punt, including a career-best 50 yards in 2023. Since making his NFL debut, the 29-year-old has placed 42.1 percent of his kicks inside the 20-yard line. As Dickson has become one of the Seahawks' best players, his work ethic has not gone unnoticed. One coach he has impressed is special teams coach Jay Harbaugh. " He's certainly not taken for granted within this building," Harbaugh said, per the team's website. "We love him and are highly impressed by him all the time. Just think the world of him, his consistency as a performer, he's really a model, even though what he does is really different from a lot of other positions on the field. I think when you get past that if you're another player and you see who he is as a pro and what he does day in and day out, the mental approach, the care he takes for his body, his ability to take information, good or bad, and process it and then move on. It's really a great example for other players as well." Dickson's success in the NFL has come as no surprise for many in Austin. He averaged 45.3 yards per punt over his three years at Texas and was a unanimous All-American in 2017. That is partly why the former pro-bowler was a popular prospect coming out of college. With no signs of slowing down, a big 2025 campaign could be on the horizon for Dickson. When the regular season begins in just a few months, he will again be one of the Seahawks' most important pieces.
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Katie Boulter overcomes serving woes to battle into Queen's second round
Katie Boulter is through to the second round - Getty Images /Luke Walker Katie Boulter served nine double faults but still had enough to beat Ajla Tomljanovic 7-6, 1-6, 6-4 to reach the second round at Queen's. A day after enjoying victory as part of the 'Boultercanu' double act, this time around, Boulter had to dig deep on Andy Murray Arena. She powered down five aces and took the first set on a tie-break but her serve was not as reliable in the second half of the contest. Advertisement Momentum shifted constantly in the deciding set, with four consecutive breaks of serve, and at one point, Boulter could be heard yelling 'thank you' after saving a break point. In the end, the British No 1 had just enough to pip her Australian opponent and delight the home crowd, who filed into the 7,700 seater stadium. Elsewhere, Heather Watson secured a fine straight sets win over Yulia Putintseva – prevailing 6-4, 6-3 against a player ranked 137 places above her – with the reward a showdown against Elena Rybakina in the second round. Full report to come... 03:48 PM BST Next up Can Raducanu make it two wins from two for British tennis in singles? Advertisement Click here to follow Will Conroy's game-by-game coverage. 03:41 PM BST Boulter reacts I was battling really hard out there. I know how good Ajla is. She has made many quarter-finals at slams and she is very good on this surface. It is never easy coming straight from the clay to the grass and I'm just happy to get through and feel very grateful for all of you guys [for the support]. It was really difficult. I did feel like I was battling my own mind at times, this surface can do that to you. I didn't feel like I served that great, and I have room to improve, but I'm just happy to be through to the second round. I came out yesterday to watch Andy get his first court [named after him], which is special in itself. To get the women back here [at Queen's] feels very special. It's actually something I dreamt of, having come here the last couple of years to watch the men play, so I'm just really grateful to be on this court. 03:39 PM BST WATCH: The winning moment for Boulter 03:30 PM BST Boulter 7-6, 1-6, 6-4 Tomljanovic* Nervy double fault by Tomljanovic to start the game. Low backhand pass by Boulter, Tomljanovic volley sits up nicely for Boulter to step in and drill a backhand down the line, 0-30. Boulter shanks a forehand wide, 15-30. Deep return by Boulter rushes Tomljanovic and Australian sends a backhand long, two match points. Backhand to backhand exchange between the players, Boulter gets the edge and drills a backhand down the line which is too hot for Tomljanovic and her forehand flies long. Advertisement GAME SET MATCH BOULTER!! 03:25 PM BST Boulter* 7-6, 1-6, 5-4 Tomljanovic Boulter has got just 52 per cent of her first serves into play and it's no shock when she hits another double fault, 15-15. A first serve down the T is too much for Tomljanovic and prompts a big roar from the Briton, 40-15. And she completes a gritty hold with a backhand winner down the line. Now she can get after Tomljanovic's serve in the next game. 03:22 PM BST Boulter 7-6, 1-6, 4-4 Tomljanovic* It's been 20 minutes since we've had a hold of serve but we finally have one and it goes the way of Tomljanovic. She holds to 15 when Boulter sprays a backhand wide. 03:17 PM BST Boulter* 7-6, 1-6, 4-3 Tomljanovic Boulter places a forehand will wide of the court, 15-30. Boulter backhand into the net and two chances for Tomljanovic to hit right back. Advertisement Deep Tomljanovic return and Boulter nets again on the backhand wing. Tomljanovic breaks. 03:14 PM BST Boulter 7-6, 1-6, 4-2 Tomljanovic* This match has been short on quality but filled with drama. So it's no surprise that Tomljanovic is broken again after a double fault. Can Boulter hold serve now? 03:08 PM BST Boulter* 7-6, 1-6, 3-2 Tomljanovic Huge 'come on' from Boulter after she rips a forehand into the corner, 30-15. Back comes Tomljanovic with an enormous forehand of her own, 30-all. Tomljanovic taking big swings again and she rushes Boulter into an error. Boulter backhand long and we have another twist in this topsy turvy match. Advertisement Tomljanovic breaks. 03:03 PM BST Boulter 7-6, 1-6, 3-1 Tomljanovic* Boulter's momentum continues and now Tomljanovic is facing two more break points on her serve. Boulter keeps herself in the point, turns defence into attack and gets the forehand error from Tomljanovic. Boulter breaks. 02:59 PM BST Boulter* 7-6, 1-6, 2-1 Tomljanovic No problems on serve in this game for Boulter. She holds to love with a forehand winner and I'm wondering where has this been for the last 40 minutes. She is like a completely different player. 02:56 PM BST Boulter 7-6, 1-6, 1-1 Tomljanovic* Tomljanovic is playing with so much freedom and giving Boulter no time to react as she moves to 40-15. But all of a sudden, her level drops and she now faces a break point after a double fault. Advertisement And Boulter bounces back, going on the attack and off a short ball by Tomljanovic, she flicks a forehand into the corner. 02:51 PM BST Boulter* 7-6, 1-6, 0-1 Tomljanovic Double fault by Boulter to start the set. She's really struggling on serve at the moment. Excellent depth from Tomljanovic and Boulter nets a forehand, 15-30. Yet another double fault means Tomljanovic has two break points. She saves the first break point and then the second when Tomljanovic sprays a forehand return log. Aggressive shotmaking by Tomljanovic. An approach to the net is good and she puts a forehand volley away comfortably. Third break point. Advertisement Tense rally ensues and Boulter blinks first, pushing a forehand long. Tomljanovic breaks to claim her sixth game in a row. 02:43 PM BST Boulter 7-6, 1-6 Tomljanovic* Shanked forehand by Boulter flies high and wide of the court, 30-all. Timely first serve by Tomljanovic and Boulter nets her return. Tomljanovic ace down the T and Boulter will need three sets to win this. 02:41 PM BST Boulter* 7-6, 1-5 Tomljanovic Another double fault by Boulter, 0-30. But crucially she hits back to move to 30-all. Deep Tomljanovic return rushes Boulter into another error, break point. Tomljanovic duly gets the double break when Boulter nets a backhand. 02:35 PM BST Boulter 7-6, 1-4 Tomljanovic* Tomljanovic has having a purple patch right now. Striking the ball very clean, with good margin for error. She crushes a forehand down the line to hold. 02:33 PM BST Boulter* 7-6, 1-3 Tomljanovic Three errors in a row by Boulter and Tomljanovic has three break points. Boulter saves the first and has a chance to save the second but places her backhand into the tramlines. Advertisement The shot didn't need to be that good. She misjudged it and that's proven costly. Tomljanovic breaks. 02:30 PM BST 'The Pimms jugs have started to make an appearance' As we get further into the afternoon the pimms jugs have started to make an appearance, as have more fans. The Andy Murray Arena is slowly filling up to watch Boulter in action as she manages to survive another double fault. 02:29 PM BST Boulter 7-6, 1-2 Tomljanovic* Stress free service hold from Tomljanovic as she showcases her power. The Australian has not given up on this match. 02:25 PM BST Boulter* 7-6, 1-1 Tomljanovic Deep return by Tomljanovic and Boulter slices a defensive backhand into the net. 15-30. The sun has come out in west London and is posing a small problem for Boulter with her ball toss. Advertisement Boulter gets low and whips a backhand into the corner for a winner, 40-30. Textbook shot making by the Briton. But she follows it up with a double fault. Boulter is making heavy weather of the service game, she is up to five double faults now. But she finds a much needed ace, the ball arching away from 'Tomljanovic', to hold. 02:17 PM BST Second set: Boulter 7-6, 0-1 Tomljanovic* Boulter will be keen to put her foot on the accelerator and break Tomljanovic here but the Australian resists and holds. Katie Boulter took the opening set - Getty Images/Dan Istitene 02:11 PM BST TIE-BREAK - Boulter 7-6 Tomljanovic Boulter backhand into the net, 3-4. Tomljanovic forehand into the net, 4-4. Good first serve by Boulter unreturned. 5-4. Advertisement 'Come on' from Boulter after Tomljanovic puts a backhand long, 6-4. Boulter seals the set with a cross court forehand winner, 7-4. 02:08 PM BST TIE-BREAK - Boulter 6-6 Tomljanovic Tomljanovic return wide, 1-0. Tomljanovic ace, 1-1.A jammy drop shot winner from Boulter, 2-1. Boulter double fault, 2-2. Boulter hits back with an ace, 3-2. Boulter return wide, 3-3. 02:04 PM BST Boulter 6-6 Tomljanovic* Must hold service game for the Australian if she wants to force a tie-break. Good second serve by Tomljanovic, Boulter somehow gets the ball into play and Tomljanovic nets a short forehand, 0-30. Class by Tomljanovic to hit a deft volley off a Boulter backhand cross. And her big serve keeps her out of damage. Advertisement Into a tie-break we go!!! 01:57 PM BST Boulter* 6-5 Tomljanovic When Boulter gets her first serve in, she is in tough to bear. Especially on this serve. A couple of double fault put Boulter under threat by 40-30 but she holds again when Tomljanovic strikes a wild forehand long. 01:54 PM BST Boulter 5-5 Tomljanovic* Tomljanovic is well in this match now. Similar game styles, cancelling each other out. The Australian stands firm and prolongs the set. 01:51 PM BST Boulter* 5-4 Tomljanovic Tomljanovic responds again and get break points at 15-40. Boulter saves the first with an ace but Tomljanovic breaks again when Boulter sends a backhand long. Advertisement This has been a topsy-turvy match so far. 01:48 PM BST Boulter 5-3 Tomljanovic* A double fault and backhand into the net gives Boulter a look at breaking. Tomljanovic beats Boulter with a backhand cross court but can't find the sideline. Three break points. Tomljanovic saves the first but Boulter earns the break after a forehand error. 01:43 PM BST Boulter* 4-3 Tomljanovic Clenched fist and a 'come on' shout from Boulter after a crushing a cross court forehand pass for a winner. forehand by Boulter is punished by Tomljanovic, who drills a flat backhand into the corner, deuce. Boom. Tomljanovic nails a backhand winner earn a break point. Saved again by Boulter, who finds a first serve and draws the error. Advertisement Another chance for Tomljanovic to break here. Brilliant second serve by Boulter into the corner to see out the danger. And she escapes with the game when Tomljanovic strikes a forehand long. 01:34 PM BST Boulter 3-3 Tomljanovic* Tomljanovic follows Boulter with a comfortable service game of their own. Andy Murray Arena is gradually livening up. 01:33 PM BST 'Crowd is quite subdued' After the early breaks of serve, both players just seem to be settling into this match and the occasion. The crowd is quite subdued, even when Boulter does win a point and the main arena is maybe only a touch over half full. 01:28 PM BST Boulter* 3-2 Tomljanovic First two aces of the match for Boulter as she moves to 40-0. When her serve is flowing and finding its spot, it is very tough to deal with. 01:26 PM BST Boulter 2-2 Tomljanovic* Boulter's first strike tennis is causing some problems from Tomljanovic. The Australian is being rushed by the length of the Briton's shots. Must she manage to come through another game. 01:21 PM BST Boulter* 2-1 Tomljanovic Boulter's boyfriend Alex de Minuar is sitting courtside and showing his support. He applauds as Boulter completes the first hold of serve to love. Advertisement A glimpse of what she is capable of on this surface. 01:18 PM BST Boulter 1-1 Tomljanovic* Back comes Boulter. She earns two immediate break point chance. A deep backhand rushes Tomljanovic and the Aussie's backhand drifts wide. Boulter breaks amd we're back level. 01:14 PM BST First set: Katie Boulter* 0-1 Ajla Tomljanovic (*denotes server) This will be a tough opening test for Boulter against Tomljanovic. This is the third meeting and Tomljanovic leads the head-to-head 2-1. Long lay-offs from injury have hampered her progress but she is capable of making things difficult. Fittingly, the Australian earns a break point here after a deep return forces the Briton into an error. Boulter saves it but gifts Tomljanovic another chance with a backhand into the net. Advertisement Tomljanovic's return is short and Boulter has to scamper forward. She gets there in time but whips her forehand long. Tomljanovic breaks. 12:57 PM BST 'Ominous grey clouds' The rain is holding off so far as the fans await the arrival of Katie Boulter onto centre court – or the recently renamed Andy Murray Arena. It is under half full at the moment, but more might come in throughout the afternoon. However, more ominously are the grey clouds currently sitting overhead, although it is not raining – at least not yet. 12:56 PM BST Sign up to our Telegraph Sport newsletter 12:44 PM BST British No 1 in action Hello and welcome to coverage from Queen's, where a women's tournament is being staged for the first time since 1973. Advertisement Our focus here will be on the British No 1 Katie Boulter, who takes on Australian Ajla Tomljanovic on Andy Murray Arena. A high-quality field has been assembled in south west London including Olympic champion Quinwen Zheng, reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, current Australian Open champion Madison Keys and former Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina. The inaugural version of the revamped event will boast total prize money of $1.415 million, the highest for a WTA 500 event of its draw size on the Tour, with the singles champion receiving a cool $164,000 and Boulter says the sense of excitement is sweeping through. 'You can feel how excited everyone is,' she said. 'Getting the chance to play here is an absolute privilege so I'm going to enjoy every minute of it. Advertisement 'I've come here quite a bit watching tennis and I've got some good memories of coming and watching Alex (De Minaur) over the last few years. I've always said to myself, I wish there was a women's event here, I wish I had the chance to play on this court. 'You can feel the history, you can feel how incredible it is. I've seen this court packed and obviously it's new this year, which is going to be a really interesting moment for me because I think I'm going to feel a lot of support from the British crowd. I'm going to get a lot of emotions coming out of me at that point.' Grass is a surface where Boulter has secured some of her best results in the past – namely, her back-to-back titles in Nottingham over the last two seasons. In her first event back from the clay, the Briton is hoping she can build some momentum this week to kick-start her favourite time of the season. Advertisement 'Coming into the grass court season it's a completely clean slate,' Boulter explained. 'For the first week on grass there are no expectations. Obviously coming to a WTA 500 at an incredible event it does bring out stress a little bit more and I want to do well here, but I know it's my first week and I'm trying to build towards Wimbledon as well.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
