Katie Boulter, Harriet Dart and Jodie Burrage helped create history as four British women are in the the quarter-finals of a WTA Tour event for the first time after their progression at the Rothesay Nottingham Open.
Boulter, who is Britain’s number one, battled past Ukrainian lucky loser Daria Snigur 7-5 6-3 while Dart enjoyed a fine 6-0 7-5 victory over fifth seed and world number 25 Anhelina Kalinina.
But perhaps Burrage’s victory was the most impressive as she beat world number 21 and Australian Open semi-finalist Magda Linette 7-5 6-3 in one of the best victories of her career and all three join Heather Watson in the last eight.
Burrage made it through to a first career quarter-final on the WTA Tour but hopes there may be more to come.
“I am feeling really good, I have won a few matches in the WTA but never got to the quarter-finals, so it feels really good to tick that off,” she said. “But there is still a lot left to go in the week and we’ll see what happens.
“When we are all doing well it really pushes everyone on, it is a bit daunting going on after the other two (Boulter and Dart) won, it was a little bit of pressure, but in the same breath it did help as well, but when you’re out on court you’re just wanting to win.”
Boulter and Dart will now play each other to ensure there will be at least one Brit in the semi-final on Saturday.
It is also the best home performance at Nottingham in the tournament’s current format and all three of those women will have realistic ambitions of following in Johanna Konta’s footsteps and winning it, as the now-retired former British number one did two years ago.
Boulter, who is from Leicester and staying at her house during this week, has never got past the quarter-finals here before.
“It’s funny because I feel like I have been one of the years I was a set up and had to pull out and there have been many times where I have been playing great but I have never been able to go all the way through,” she said.
“For me I feel very comfortable, I feel at home, I play some great stuff and hopefully I can keep that up. I am going to keep fighting and keep enjoying it and it is easy to forget to do those two things so that is my main goal.”
Boulter and Dart are part of a very close-knit British team, but the former is able to separate between friend and opponent.
“At the end of the day you are playing against a tennis ball, I don’t think it matters too much who that person is, you have to play the ball and what’s coming at you,” she added.
“That’s the way I see it. I don’t think it is going to be an easy match either way, I am looking forward to it. It’s not often you get to the quarter-finals at your home tournament so that’s all I’m concentrating on.”
Burrage will play Magdelena Frech while Watson, who booked her quarter-final spot on Wednesday, takes on Viktorija Golubic.
Alcaraz begins Madrid Open campaign with emphatic win
Carlos Alcaraz continued his fine record at the Madrid Open with an emphatic 6-2 6-1 victory over Alexander Shevchenko on Friday.
The two-time defending champion made it 12 straight wins at his home tournament to ensure he will face Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild in the last 32.
Alcaraz was playing his first match on the ATP Tour since March 28 after being unable to compete in the Monte-Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open due to an arm injury.
But he was still able to make a fine start to his clay-court season, breaking serve in the first game and racing to victory in only one hour and eight minutes.
Data Debrief
Sometimes the scoreline can be harsh on a beaten player, but on this occasion Alcaraz was clearly dominant, breaking the Kazakh seven times in the match and forcing 11 break-point opportunities while conceding only three for his opponent.
That allowed the Spaniard to claim a dominant victory despite being broken once in each set. He will now turn his attention to a clash with Seyboth Wild, who battled past Lorenzo Musetti with a 6-4 6-4 win.
Reigning champion Sabalenka pushed by Linette at Madrid Open
Aryna Sabalenka got her Madrid Open campaign started with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 win over Magda Linette on Friday.
Sabalenka could not quite hit her peak form against Linette, but the world number two nevertheless got the job done after going the distance.
The Belarusian is hunting a record-equalling third title in Madrid, where she is the reigning champion, though she has not won back-to-back matches at a tournament since winning the Australian Open.
"It's not about being confident," Sabalenka said. "It's about how much you're ready to do to get it. It's about the hard work and to be ready, be ready for the big fights. I feel like confidence is not going to help you in those big matches. It's about staying there and fighting for it."
Data Debrief
Sabalenka (70 per cent, 56-24) is now one of five active players since 2020 to hold a winning percentage of 70 per cent or higher at WTA-1000 events.
Iga Swiatek, Simona Halep, Elena Rybakina and Jessica Pegula are the other players to feature on that list.
Rybakina continues clay winning streak with victory over Bronzetti
In-form Elena Rybakina has moved into the last 32 of the Madrid Open after a straight sets victory over Italian Lucia Bronzetti.
Number four seed Rybakina triumphed 6-4 6-3 on Friday and will next face either Marta Kostyuk or Mayar Sherif.
Rybakina was broken early in each set but ultimately had few problems getting over the line, converting four of her five break points to continue an impressive run of results after winning the Stuttgart Open last week.
She has now won five consecutive WTA matches and has 13 straight wins on clay courts to her name in a superb streak that started one year ago.
Data Debrief: Rybakina in elite company
Since the start of 2020, only two other players have claimed as many 13 consecutive WTA wins on clay, and they are Iga Swiatek and Simona Halep, so Rybakina is in elite company.
Rybakina's last defeat on this surface came in the 2023 edition of the Madrid Open, when she fell to Anna Kalinskaya in her first match, so this win represented a better start to her campaign in the Spanish capital.
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