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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
George Sessions

Jack Draper crashes out at Queen’s as Katie Boulter lines up Simona Halep quarter-final at Birmingham Classic

Home favourite Jack Draper suffered a straight-sets defeat to qualifier Emil Ruusuvuori in the second round at Queen’s Club to leave only one British player left in the men's singles draw.

The world number 99 had secured a career-best victory over American Taylor Fritz on Monday but struggled against an opponent who looked in supreme form during a 6-2 7-6 (2) victory and will break into the top-50 next week.

After Andy Murray pulled out of the competition with injury and Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans exited in the first round, this defeat for Draper means Ryan Peniston, the little-known British number seven, remains the last home hope.

Britain’s Katie Boulter, meanwhile, moved into the quarter-finals of the Rothesay Classic Birmingham after a straight-sets victory against Caroline Garcia.

(PA)

Just 24 hours after she pulled off the best triumph by ranking of her career with victory over Alison Riske in the opening round, Boulter, 25, beat France’s Garcia, a former top-five player, 7-6 (5) 6-1 in one hour and 30 minutes to record another milestone win.

Standing between Boulter and a spot in the semi-finals is Simona Halep, the 2019 Wimbledon champion, who recorded a 6-3 6-2 win over Britain’s Harriet Dart in just over an hour.

The British number four has so far been prevented from achieving her potential by injuries and illness, and a leg problem suffered in March sidelined her for nearly three months. But Boulter, ranked 141 in the world, is coming into form ahead of Wimbledon where she has been given a wild card.

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