By love-89.com Katie Boulter advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo after an impressive straight-sets victory over Bianca Andreescu. The British No. 1, 28, secured the win with a score of 6-2, 6-1 in just over an hour, marking her third consecutive straight-sets win in the tournament. Boulter, the ninth seed, is now set to face Sofia Kenin, who defeated Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-4 to earn her spot in the final.
Despite a challenging run during the Asian swing of the WTA Tour, where Boulter faced tough losses against Coco Gauff and others, she dominated the match against Andreescu. “I’ve got nothing to lose,” Boulter expressed in an interview with Sky Sports. “My team and I have been working really hard during the Asian swing, and it’s starting to pay off. I’m just proud to be pushing through to the end of the season, something I haven’t been able to do before because of my body.”
In another key matchup, the top seed Zheng Qinwen battled Leylah Fernandez to secure her place in the semi-finals. Zheng initially won the first set 6-0 but faced strong resistance from Fernandez, who fought back to take the second set 6-1. Zheng ultimately regrouped to clinch the third set 6-3, setting up a confrontation with Diana Shnaider in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Jack Draper reached the semi-finals of the Erste Bank Open in Vienna after defeating Tomas Machac 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. The British men’s No. 1 benefited from a month-long break leading into the tournament, showcasing a dominant final set against Machac. Draper, now ranked No. 18 in the world following the best year of his career, responded well after losing the second set. He broke the Czech player twice in the final set and closed out the match with an ace, setting up a semi-final against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, who overcame top seed Alexander Zverev in a tightly contested match.