The 3 Britons fell short of advancing beyond the quarter-finals at the Rothesay International in Eastbourne on Thursday. This marked the first time in 46 years that 3 British women had reached the Last 8. Like Anne Hobbs, Michelle Tyler, and Virginia Wade at the 1978 Colgate International, Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, and Harriet Dart were unable to progress further. All three bowed out in the windy conditions on the south coast.
First up was Dart, who had concerns over a knee injury after her impressive win over Sofia Kenin in the previous round. She lost to Canadian Leylah Fernandez, a former US Open finalist, in just 70 minutes with a score of 6-2 6-1.
Fernandez advanced to her first semi-final of the year, and expressed her comfort on grass by focusing on moving her feet correctly and maintaining a solid base on her legs to hit the balls effectively.
Next, British No 1 Katie Boulter faced Jasmine Paolini in the quarter-finals. Despite failing to impose on Paolini, Boulter felt she was playing her best tennis in a very long time. The match ended with Paolini winning 6-1, 7-6(7) in 81 minutes.
In the semis, Paolini will face Daria Kasatkina, who beat Emma Raducanu convincingly with a score of 6-2 6-2. Despite the defeat, Raducanu had a noteworthy run in Eastbourne leading up to next week’s Championships. She gained valuable experience and points in the WTA Rankings.
Kasatkina acknowledged the challenging conditions caused by the wind, emphasizing the need to play smart and win as many points as possible. She expressed confidence in her upcoming match against Paolini.
Defending champion Madison Keys received a walkover to the semi-finals after Karolina Muchova withdrew due to a right wrist injury. Muchova explained that she didn’t want to risk further injury with Wimbledon approaching.
Overall, the quarter-finals at the Rothesay International delivered intense matches and surprising outcomes. The stage is set for exciting semi-final matchups, with players showing resilience and determination in adverse conditions.
