Katie Boulter advances to the Pan Pacific Open semifinals and will face Sofia Kenin

Katie Boulter has overcome a series of mediocre results on WTA Tour's Asian swing to vance to Pan Pacific Open semifinals with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Bianca Andreescu on Friday.

28-year-old British player lost in recent weeks in first round at Wuhan and in second round to Coco Gauff at China Open. But she dominated Andreescu, former U.S. Open champion who beat Serena Williams in straight sets in 2019 final, on Friday in first of four quarterfinals in Tokyo.

Boulter will play anor Grand Slam singles champion, 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin, in semifinals on Saturday. Kenin beat fifth-seeded Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-4.

Later, No. 1 seed and Paris Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen was scheduled to play eighth-seeded Leylah Fernandez in a quarterfinal, while Diana Shnaider played Sayaka Ishii in or.

In 2022, a 19-year-old Zheng reached first WTA final of her career in Tokyo, beaten by Liudmila Samsonova in title match. Two years on, she’s reigning Olympic champion and was coming off a run to Wuhan final two weeks ago that sealed her qualification for WTA Finals in Riyh next month.