Katie Boulter has booked her place in the second round of the Japan Open, beating home wildcard Himeno Sakatsume 6-3 6-1 in Osaka a day after heavy rainfall suspended play.
The world No 58 completed a dominant victory in one hour and 32 minutes. She will next face Swiss player Viktorija Golubic for a place in the quarter-finals.
The win gives Boulter a 20-20 record across her last 40 matches. It also gives her confidence a lift after a period in which she has played only three matches since September 30, following early exits at the China Open (second round) and the Wuhan Open (first round).
Rain disrupts Boulter’s match in Osaka
On Monday, the match had barely started when torrential rain arrived in Osaka and forced the players off court. The venue has no roof, which left the court open to all of the elements.
Only three games had been played by that point, with Sakatsume leading 2-1 in the first set when play stopped.
Play resumed, but another rain delay followed with Boulter leading 6-3 3-1 (40-30). Both players had to leave the court again and return on Tuesday to finish the contest.
When play restarted, the 30-year-old Boulter continued to dominate. She won seven of her eight service games overall and converted five of nine break point chances.
Swiatek withdraws from Ningbo Open with left thigh injury
Elsewhere, Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from the Ningbo Open in China with an injured left thigh, which diminishes her chances of reaching the season-ending WTA Finals at Indian Wells next month.
The six-time major winner lost to eventual champion Maja Chwalinska in the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open last week and struggled at times in that match.
“After careful consideration, I’ve decided to withdraw from the tournament,” Swiatek said in a statement posted on social media on Tuesday by the Ningbo tournament. “I’ve been experiencing an ongoing problem with my left thigh over the past weeks and I feel that giving myself the time to rest and recover is the right decision.”
Swiatek was one of three players in contention for the last spot in the eight-player field for the WTA Finals, along with Karolina Muchova and Marta Kostyuk, ahead of this week’s tournaments.
The WTA said in a preview of the Ningbo tournament that Muchova will secure the remaining spot if Swiatek did not reach the quarter-finals and Kostyuk does not reach the final. The season-ending tournament at Indian Wells starts on November 8.