Staff Reporter.
Britain’s Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart have all been beaten in the quarter-finals at Eastbourne.
Raducanu was defeated 6-2 6-2 by Russian sixth seed Daria Kasatkina in blustery conditions.
Boulter, attempting to win a second grass-court title this month after Nottingham, lost 6-1 7-6 (7-0) to Italian third seed Jasmine Paolini.
World number seven Paolini dominated the tactical battle against the British number one and adapted far better to blustery conditions at Devonshire Park.
“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.
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.
It was the first time since 1978 there had been three British women in the quarter-finals at Eastbourne.
In the men’s event, Britain’s Billy Harris reached his first ATP Tour semi-final with a 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 win over Italian Flavio Cobolli.
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.