Katie Boulter put on a dominant display to move past Jaqueline Cristian in straight sets to reach a career-first quarter-final at the HSBC Championships.
The British No.3 won 6-1, 6-3 in not much over an hour on Court 1 to book her place in the quarter-finals in her second appearance at the tournament.
She’ll face a tricky match-up top seed and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina who recovered from a set down to defeat defending champion Tatjana Maria.
Rybakina leads their head-to-head 2-0 with two straight set wins, including a meeting in the Wimbledon third round in 2023.
The match will be fourth on Andy Murray Arena following the completion of the other second round matches.
Speaking on court after the match, Boulter praised her performance in a one-sided clash.
“I felt like I came out really fast and I think I kind of used the momentum from my first match and tried to take it to her and commit to my shots,” she said.
“I think I did really well in the second to just stay composed and not try and play too well and just stay solid. I think I did such a good job today so I’m very pleased.”
The two-time Lexus Nottingham Open champ is hoping to pick up her third title on home soil and add to her first WTA 500 trophy from San Diego in 2024.
“I do love the grass,” Boulter remarked about the surface. “I’ve been here since I was a little girl, playing on the grass, I think it’s so great.
“I feel very comfortable, and I think for me it’s about committing to my shots, you can’t ease into it, you just have to commit and see what comes up.”
