Eighth-seeded Katie Boulter wasted little time booking her spot in the Japan Open quarter-finals on Wednesday.
The four-time WTA champion and former world number 23 comfortably defeated Viktorija Golubic 6-2, 6-1 in Osaka, Japan.
It was a commanding performance by the 29-year-old, who won 89 per cent of her first-serve points and saved the one break point she faced.
Boulter now awaits the winner of Antonia Ruzic and Kayla Day in the last eight.
Katie Boulter can now re-claim the British number one ranking from Sonay Kartal
Earlier this month, then world number 170 Sonay Kartal produced some inspired performances to reach her first WTA 1000 final in Wuhan.
Kartal rose 121 places in the rankings following her impressive campaign, overtaking Emma Raducanu, Francesca Jones, Harriet Dart and Katie Boulter.
Consequently, Kartal became the British number one for the first time in her career and the 24th Briton to hold the position since 1975.
British number one players since 1975
- Virginia Wade
- Sue Barker
- Jo Durie
- Annabel Croft
- Anne Hobbs
- Sara Gomer
- Monique Javer
- Sarah Loosemore
- Clare Wood
- Lizzie Jelfs
- Rachel Viollet
- Sam Smith
- Louise Latimer
- Julie Pullin
- Lucie Ahl
- Elena Baltacha
- Anne Keothavong
- Katie O’Brien
- Heather Watson
- Laura Robson
- Johanna Konta
- Emma Raducanu
- Katie Boulter
- Sonay Kartal
After beating Golubic on Wednesday, Boulter can now immediately reclaim the top spot from Kartal.
Boulter’s current WTA ranking points total is 1,071 – 26 points behind Kartal’s.
If Boulter reaches the semi-finals in Osaka, she will increase her total to 1,115; leapfrogging Kartal in the WTA rankings.
If Boulter wins the Japan Open, she will increase her total to 1,267 and likely rise into the world’s top 45 players.
| Player | Live WTA ranking | Live points |
| Sonay Kartal | 50 | 1097 |
| Lilli Tagger | 51 | 1091 |
| Yulia Starodubtseva | 52 | 1090 |
| Anhelina Kalinina | 53 | 1087 |
| Mayar Sherif | 54 | 1085 |
| Lanlana Tararudee | 55 | 1083 |
| Clara Tauson | 56 | 1074 |
| Katie Boulter | 57 | 1071 |
Katie Boulter’s record versus her potential quarter-final opponents
As mentioned previously, Boulter will play either American Kayla Day or Croatian Antonia Ruzic in the Japan Open quarter-finals.
Boulter has never played Ruzic on the WTA circuit. However, she did compete against Day eight years ago.
In Boulter’s first-ever appearance at the Australian Open in 2018, she was drawn against Kayla Day in the first round of qualifying.
Day emerged victorious from the contest, as Boulter was forced to retire while trailing 4-6, 7-6, 2-5.