Katie Boulter through to Ningbo Open last 16 as Harriet Dart wins Japan Open clash

British No 1 Katie Boulter rediscovered her form to make it through to the last 16 of the Ningbo Open after beating Italy’s Sara Errani in straight sets on Tuesday.

Boulter’s form has tailed off since the grass-court season but she shrugged off seven double faults and a lengthy rain delay in a dominant victory over the veteran Italian.

In a match disrupted due to heavy rain, Boulter came out with the score level at 2-2 following a prolonged stoppage and proceeded to kick on and dominate, clinching the opening set 6-3.

The 28-year-old Briton then broke her Italian opponent early into the next set, consolidating with a hold of serve to move into a commanding 3-0 lead.

A second break of serve was soon forced by Boulter, moving her to 4-0, and though she was broken herself when serving for the set at 5-1, she broke straight back to wrap up the match.

Boulter will next face 28-year-old Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia for a place in the quarter-finals.

Two of the top three seeds in Ningbo have already withdrawn out of the tournament in French Open and Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini and American Emma Navarro.

Norrie makes losing return but Fearnley wins again

Former British No 1 Cameron Norrie had not played a main tour match since July after suffering a forearm injury that ruled him out of the Olympics and the US Open.

But the 29-year-old, who returned to action at a second-tier Challenger event last week, was unable to extend his stay at the Nordic Open in Stockholm, losing 6-4 6-4 in the first round to Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic.

Fellow British player Jacob Fearnley is through to the second round, though, the Scot continuing his remarkable run with a 6-2 7-6 (7-5) win over France’s Corentin Moutet.

The 23-year-old recently broke into the top 100 for the first time after soaring up the rankings since leaving college in the United States in the spring.

He came through qualifying in Sweden on the back of two titles on the Challenger Tour and extended his unbeaten sequence to 13 consecutive matches with his first tour-level victory outside Britain.

Emotional win for Dart in Osaka

Elsewhere, Boulter’s British compatriot Harriet Dart was emotional after battling to a three-hour 3-6 7-5 7-5 win over
Laura Siegemund in the first round of the Japan Open, ending a three-match losing run.

Having lost the first set 6-3, Dart showed heart and composure to win a tight second set 7-5, before she went on to clinch the third-set decider by the same score.

Dart will next face Denmark’s Clara Tauson – who knocked the 28-year-old Brit out in the first round of the China Open three weeks ago – for a place in the quarter-finals in Osaka.

Dan Evans, meanwhile, was also victorious, following up his two wins in qualifying at the Almaty Open with a 6-2 7-6 (7-4) win over Taro Daniel as he bids to push back towards the top 100.

What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis in October?

Almaty Open, Kazakhstan – ATP 250 (October 14-20 – Dan Evans in action)
Stockholm Open, Sweden – ATP 250 (October 14-20 – Jacob Fearnley in action)
European Open, Antwerp – ATP 250 (October 14-20)
Japan Open, Osaka – WTA 250 (October 14-20 – Harriet Dart in action)
Ningbo Open, China – WTA 500 (October 14-20 – Katie Boulter in action)
Erste Bank Open, Vienna – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
Swiss Indoors, Basel – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
Guangzhou Open, China – WTA 250 (October 21-27)
Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis, Tokyo – WTA 500 (October 21-27)

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