Tokyo
British tennis player Katie Boulter has secured a spot in the Pan Pacific Open semifinals with a commanding 6-2, 6-1 victory over former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu on Friday. Boulter, 28, bounced back impressively after early exits in recent tournaments, including a first-round loss at Wuhan and a second-round defeat to Coco Gauff at the China Open.
Boulter’s next challenge will be against another Grand Slam champion, Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open winner. Kenin advanced to the semifinals after defeating fifth-seeded Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-4 in her quarterfinal match.
On the other side of the draw, Olympic gold medalist and top seed Zheng Qinwen is set to face eighth-seeded Leylah Fernandez, with the winner moving on to battle Diana Shnaider. Shnaider advanced after receiving a walkover when her opponent, Sayaka Ishii, withdrew due to an undisclosed illness or injury.
For Zheng, Tokyo holds a special place in her career. It was here in 2022 that she reached her first WTA final. Now, having just secured her spot in the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Zheng is aiming to go even further in Tokyo, building on her impressive season.
