Katie Boulter's impressive run in Hong Kong came to a harsh conclusion on Sunday as she was comprehensively outclassed in the final by top seed Diana Shnaider, who dismantled the British No 1 6-1, 6-2 to claim her fourth WTA title of the season.

Boulter, the second seed, found herself overpowered from the outset by the exceptional Shnaider, a formidable left-hander with a potent, heavy forehand. As Shnaider consistently took the initiative and forced Boulter into difficult positions on the court, she exploited the weaknesses in Boulter's game. Boulter's overaggressive play, loss of confidence in her serve, and lack of an alternative strategy against an unyielding opponent sealed her fate.

With four titles already this year, Shnaider, a Russian player, is solidifying her status as one of the most promising young talents on the tour. Starting the year ranked No 108, Shnaider will now climb to a new career-high of No 12. At 20 years old, she is a month younger than Coco Gauff and currently the youngest player in the top 15. While most of Shnaider's best results have come at smaller WTA events, the next phase of her career will involve consistently excelling at the major tournaments.

Despite ending her season with a lopsided loss, the past two weeks have been a significant step forward for Boulter. After a challenging second half of the year, her decision to extend her stay in Asia, while other top 30 players returned home, proved to be a wise move. She bounced back with a semi-final appearance in Tokyo, a WTA 500 event, followed by a final in Hong Kong, a WTA 250. After the final, Boulter acknowledged she was feeling the strain.

"I'd be concerned if I was on week seven in Asia at the end of the season and didn't feel exhausted," Boulter said. "It would mean I've been doing something wrong all year. I came here to push myself, playing this tournament and several weeks in a row. It's not something I often do, especially physically, but I'm here with a strong body.

"Exhausted, but I'm happy because I pushed my limits this week. That's what will make me stronger and tougher as a tennis player and, hopefully, if I'm aiming for higher ranking points, it will take me there."

As a result of these performances, Boulter will conclude the best season of her career with a career-high ranking of No 23, a remarkable feat for a 28-year-old who has spent most of her career outside the top 100. Improved performances at larger events could propel Boulter into the top 20 next year, though maintaining her position inside the top 30 will be challenging. The 358 points she gained in the last two weeks could prove invaluable.

"At the start of the year, I started so strong, putting myself in a position I hadn't experienced before," Boulter said. "I felt I had to adjust, get used to it, and adjust my goals because I had specific goals I wanted to reach all year, but I achieved them quite quickly.

"For me, it's crucial to reset mentally, another career high as we head into Monday. I'll need to set new goals. I have some in mind, but I think they'll stay with my team. I'm really excited to push on next year; I have big hopes and I'm fully committed."

Although her individual season is finished, Boulter has one more tournament to play in 2024. She will captain the Great Britain team at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Malaga, where they will face Germany on 15 November.

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