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Katie Boulter to meet Harriet Dart in Nottingham Open quarter-final

Katie Boulter to meet Harriet Dart in Nottingham Open quarter-final
© Reuters
Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart set up an all-British Nottingham Open quarter-final, while Jodie Burrage also advances to the last eight.

Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart set up an all-British Nottingham Open quarter-final courtesy of respective wins in their second-round affairs on Thursday.

Both home favourites sent Ukrainian opposition packing, as British number one Boulter defeated Daria Snigur 7-5 6-3 before Dart bested Anhelina Kalinina 6-0 7-5.

Fortune was not one Boulter's side early doors against Snigur, as she lost her serve in the third game before squandering a mammoth seven break points in a chaotic sixth game.

The 26-year-old was then forced to beat away three break points for Snigur before finally levelling the match at 4-4, and by working the cross-court forehand to great effect, she repeated that feat in the 12th game to take the first set.

In an identical start to the second set, Boulter - who made fewer errors on serve as the match progressed - was broken in the third game, and there were only two holds in the final seven games of the contest as both competitors upped the ante.

Harriet Dart pictured in January 2022© Reuters

However, Snigur - who appeared to be struggling with a knee injury - lost her serve twice in quick succession to give Boulter the chance to serve for the match, and the world number 126 fired one final forehand past the Ukrainian to advance to the last eight.

Boulter's reward will be an all-British affair with Dart, who served a bagel in her first set with Italian Open finalist and fifth seed Kalinina en route to victory in one hour and 32 minutes.

Despite the 118-place chasm separating them in the WTA rankings, qualifier Dart blitzed Kalinina in a stunning first set, during which she did not lose a single point on serve.

The Ukrainian finally got on the board early in the second set and even broke for a 2-1 lead in the third, taking advantage of Dart's medical time out for an apparent back issue.

Kalinina's joy was short-lived, though, as Dart levelled at 3-3 in the sixth game and did not face another break point en route to an impressive win, sealing the deal with a final break in the 12th game.

Jodie Burrage pictured in June 2022© Reuters

Already guaranteed to have at least one representative in the semi-finals, GB's day got even better later on, as another seeded player in Magda Linette fell to Jodie Burrage in straight sets.

Burrage sunk the Polish third seed 7-5 6-3 in one hour and 34 minutes, joining Dart in overcoming a player sitting over 100 places higher than her in the WTA rankings to reach her first tour-level quarter-final.

The Briton got off to a disastrous start as she lost the opening three games, but she battled back with a pair of breaks before taking her first set point with a fierce ace.

Burrage began to let her frustration show as she failed to make the most of an early break in the second set, but she rediscovered her golden touch and witnessed Linette send a backhand volley long to book a spot in the last eight.

Following Heather Watson's victory on Wednesday. GB have four women competing in the quarter-finals of a WTA event for the first time, and the quartet will all bid for semi-final berths on Friday.

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Written by
Ben Knapton

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