Katie Boulter is one match away from immediately reclaiming the British No 1 ranking after advancing to the quarter-finals of the Japan Open.
Boulter required less than an hour to defeat Viktorija Golubic 6-2 6-1 after returning to the court for a third consecutive day due to rain in Osaka.
Boulter, who overcame a rain delay to beat Himeno Sakatsume 6-3 6-1 in the first round on Monday, will play either Antonia Ruzic or Kayla Day for a semi-final spot.
Boulter’s run has come after Sonay Kartal’s success at the Wuhan Open, where the 24-year-old defeated a string of top-50 opponents to reach the biggest final of her career.
Kartal, who lost to French Open runner-up Maja Chwalinska in the final of the WTA 1000 event on Sunday, rose to No 50 in the world to replace Boulter as British No 1.
There would be another change in the position if Boulter can advance to the semi-finals in Japan, while the 30-year-old would also re-enter the world’s top 50.
Boulter was especially happy with the way she handled the wind in her straight-sets victory over Golubic, saying in her on-court interview: “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 and I think I ended up playing some really good tennis in the second set. I’m really pleased with the performance.”