Boulter battles back in Osaka to reach semis and regain British top spot
Katie Boulter came from a set and a break down to defeat Antonia Ruzic 3-6 6-3 6-3 in the Japan Open quarter-finals. The win puts her into the last four, where she will meet Katerina Siniakova, and will lift her back above Sonay Kartal as Britain's top-ranked woman. Boulter is also set to return to the world's top 50.
Boulter, 30, entered the Osaka quarter-final as the eighth seed knowing a semi-final run would erase the 55-point gap to Kartal. She had lost the British No 1 position earlier in the week after Kartal's Wuhan final appearance.
The match against Ruzic, ranked 91st, lasted two hours. Boulter dropped the first set and trailed by a break before winning the next two sets, securing her first semi-final since Queen's in June. She next meets Czech Katerina Siniakova; regardless of that result, Monday's rankings update will place her above Kartal and back inside the top 50.
Boulter's return to British No 1 and likely top-50 re-entry could raise visibility for British women's tennis, giving fans a clear domestic storyline and potentially drawing more attention to upcoming WTA events. It may also offer aspiring players a visible example of resilience after a deficit, while sponsors and broadcasters could see a short-term boost in interest around her Osaka run.