BOULTER DEFEATED IN A TIGHT BATTLE AGAINST KVITOVA, DART AND NORRIE THROUGH IN EASTBOURNE.
The Brits enjoyed a winning start at Eastbourne on Wednesday, with Harriet Dart and Cam Norrie both advancing before Dan Evans lost. Katie Boulter was then narrowly beaten by Petra Kvitova, with Jodie Burrage, Ryan Peniston and Jack Draper the other Brits in action. Dart plays again against Marta Kostyuk after her match with Teichman rolled over.
British No. 4 Katie Boulter lost out in a tight three-set encounter 5-7 6-0 7-5 against Petra Kvitova at Eastbourne.
Boulter, who earned the first top-10 win of her career this week when beating Karolina Pliskova, was up against it early on and trailed Kvitova 5-2 in the opening set.
She rallied to take the next five games, however, leaving the two-time Wimbledon champion shell-shocked.
Kvitova was though able to respond in style, with a bagel swiftly taking the match to a decider.
Boulter was able to recover herself to stay on serve with Kvitova in the final set, for 11 games at least, with the Czech eventually breaking in the 12th to win it 7-5.
Earlier in the day, British No. 2 HarrietDart recorded an impressive victory over Jil Teichmann to reach the last 16 at Eastbourne.
The match had carried over from Tuesday with the encounter finely poised at one-set all.
Dart, who beat Madison Brengle in the opening round, edged the first set against Teichmann 9-7 on a tie-break.
Teichman, the No. 10 seed at Eastbourne, then hit back when winning the second set 6-4 before bad light stopped play.
When resuming on Wednesday, it was Dart who had the edge, and she clinched the decider 6-3 for the second-biggest win of her career.
Dart is on court again later on Wednesday, facing Marta Kostyuk next for a place in the quarter-finals and a meeting with Kvitova.
Meanwhile, JodieBurrage, the world No. 169 who stunned top seed Paula Badosa, takes on Beatriz Haddad Maia later on Wednesday as well.
In the men’s draw at Eastbourne, British No. 1 CamNorrie – who will be seeded ninth at Wimbledon next week – comfortably beat Brandon Nakashima 6-4 6-2 to reach the quarters.
DanEvans endured a frustrating afternoon, exiting to Maxime Cressy with the American winning 7-6 6-4.
RyanPeniston and JackDraper are the other male Brits in action on Wednesday.
