Tokyo, Oct 25 (AP) Katie Boulter has overcome a series of mediocre results on the WTA Tour's Asian swing to advance to the Pan Pacific Open semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Bianca Andreescu on Friday.
The 28-year-old British player lost in recent weeks in the opening round at Wuhan and the second round to Coco Gauff at the China Open. But, she dominated Andreescu, the former US Open champion who beat Serena Williams in straight sets in the 2019 final, on Friday in the first of four quarter-finals in Tokyo.
On Saturday, Boulter will play another Grand Slam singles champion, 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin, in the semi-finals. Kenin beat fifth-seeded Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-4.
Later, No. 1 seed and Paris Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen was scheduled to play eighth-seeded Leylah Fernandez in a quarter-final.
The winner will play Diana Shnaider, who advanced in a walkover when her opponent Sayaka Ishii could not take the court due to an undisclosed illness or injury.
In 2022, 19-year-old Zheng reached the maiden WTA final of her career in Tokyo, beaten by Liudmila Samsonova in the title match.
Two years later, she's the reigning Olympic champion and was coming off a run to the Wuhan final two weeks ago that sealed her qualification for the WTA Finals in Riyadh next month. (AP) AYG