Katie Boulter produced a dominant 6-2 6-1 straight-sets victory over Viktorija Golubic to book her place in the quarter-finals of the Japan Open in Osaka.
The British No 2 was back on court for the third day in a row, after rain in Osaka disrupted her first-round match. She wasted no time in her round of 16 match, beating her Swiss opponent in less than an hour.
Boulter saved a break point in the opening game but dominated thereafter, winning nine games in a row before Golubic finally stopped the run in the penultimate game.
The win gives Boulter a 21-20 record across her last 41 matches and boosts her confidence after a difficult period. She has played only three matches since September 30, following early exits at the China Open (second round) and the Wuhan Open (first round).
Patience in the wind
Boulter was particularly pleased with how she handled the wind. Speaking in her on-court interview, she said: “Really difficult conditions.
“I think one of the biggest things for me is staying patient in the wind, sometimes I can get a little frustrated, and I’m very pleased that I didn’t allow that to affect me today.
“I think I ended up playing some really good tennis in the second set. I’m really pleased with the performance.”