Upset win: China’s Zhu Lin shakes hands with Britain’s Katie Boulter after winning their round-of-32 match. — Reuters
Birmingham: China’s Zhu Lin stunned third seed Magda Linette to reach the quarter-finals of the WTA event in Birmingham on Wednesday.
Zhu, ranked 39th, powered into the last eight with a surprise 6-3, 6-0 victory as she warms up for the start of Wimbledon on July 3.
The 29-year-old beat British No. 1 Katie Boulter 7-5, 7-5 in the first round on the Birmingham grass.
She improved on that impressive result with a comprehensive rout of Polish world No. 20 Linette.
Zhu reached the Australian Open last 16, but has never been past the second round of the three other Grand Slams.
In other action at Birmingham on Wednesday, top seed Barbora Krejcikova started her title bid with a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 win over Cristina Bucsa in the first round.
World No. 134 Harriet Dart carries British hopes of a homegrown champion after beating Anhelina Kalinina for a second successive week to make the quarter-finals.
Dart was awarded a Wimbledon wild card earlier in the day and celebrated in style by earning a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory over the Ukrainian fifth seed.
The British No. 4, who has been playing despite suffering with tonsillitis, beat Kalinina in Nottingham last week on her way to the quarter-finals.
She will face fourth seed Anastasia Potapova or Caty McNally in the last eight on Friday.
“I love playing on grass and I love playing in front of the home fans and I love these couple of weeks the most for sure,” Dart said.
Linda Fruhvirtova progressed to the quarter-finals after the highly-rated teenager defeated Bernarda Pera 6-1, 7-6 (7-3). — AFP
