Katie Boulter’s quest to clinch another grass-court title ahead of Wimbledon was emphatically ended by a comprehensive Eastbourne quarter-final loss to French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini.
With Emma Raducanu a potential semi-final opponent, two-time Nottingham Open champion Boulter struggled for rhythm and with her serve en route to a resounding 6-1 7-6 (0) defeat.
World number seven Paolini dominated the tactical battle against the British number one and adapted far better to blustery conditions at Devonshire Park.
The tenacious 28-year-old Italian will next face either 2021 US Open champion Raducanu or last year’s Eastbourne runner-up Daria Kasatkina.
“Today, I played a really good match,” Paolini said in her on-court interview.
“She’s a really good player on grass, of course she’s British, so it’s tough to beat her here, especially. I’m happy, I’m enjoying the grass here in Eastbourne.”
Boulter endured persistent issues with her ball toss and produced a series of costly and, at times, embarrassing errors amid a challenging breeze.
Having already been distracted by a seagull and a piece of billowing litter, she finished the fourth and sixth games with double faults – the second of which occurred when the ball hit the frame of her racket and flew beyond the baseline.
Boulter made a similar mistake as she was broken five games into the second set but, having fallen 4-2 down, responded by winning three games on the spin to briefly raise the prospect of forcing a decider.
Yet Paolini, who earlier this month lost the Roland Garros final to Iga Swiatek, was a cut above and reasserted her authority to outclass her opponent in the tie-break and continue her remarkable season.
The prospect of three British women reaching the semi-finals of the Rothesay International had earlier been extinguished by Harriet Dart’s 6-2 6-1 loss to Leylah Fernandez in Thursday’s opening match.
Meanwhile, wildcard Billy Harris is one step away from becoming the first Briton to reach the men’s singles final after battling from a set down to upset Italian world number 49 Flavio Cobolli.
The 29-year-old, a quarter-finalist at Queen’s last week, won 6-7 (3) 7-6 (4) 6-2, having beaten compatriots Jacob Fearnley and Charles Broom in the previous rounds.
Nottingham-born Harris, ranked 139 in the world, will meet Australian qualifier Max Purcell – a 6-3 7-6 (4) victor against Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic – in the semi-finals.
