Emma Raducanu secured her place in the Queen's Club Championships quarter-finals with a commanding 6-4, 6-1 victory over Rebecca Sramkova on Thursday afternoon.
The 22-year-old's triumph at the Andy Murray Arena leaves her as the sole British player remaining in the prestigious WTA 500 tournament.
The match lasted just over an hour as Raducanu dominated proceedings, particularly in a one-sided second set.
Despite being separated by only four places in the world rankings, the former US Open champion's superior shot-making on both wings made the gap appear far greater.
Emma Raducanu has looked in fine form at Queen's
Reuters
The packed stands witnessed Raducanu advance through the competition with increasing confidence.
Raducanu's victory ensures she will reclaim the British number one ranking on Monday, displacing Katie Boulter who currently holds the position.
Boulter's 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 defeat to Russian player Diana Shnaider in the second round ended her Queen's campaign early.
The ranking change comes exactly two years after Boulter first overtook Raducanu following the latter's 2021 US Open triumph.
Raducanu earned the honour in an unusual manner, with Boulter dropping her Nottingham points a week early due to Queen's new position in the tennis calendar.
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The 22-year-old's return to the summit of British women's tennis reflects her strong form at the tournament.
Raducanu blazed through the opening five games in under 25 minutes, displaying the aggressive hitting that has characterised her return to form.
However, serving for the first set, she lost focus and allowed Sramkova to win four consecutive games before eventually closing out the set.
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Emma Raducanu is now Britain's No. 1 ranked woman in tennis
Reuters
The second set saw normal service resume as Raducanu broke early and maintained control throughout.
Her movement proved particularly impressive, with Sramkova's attempted drop shots often backfiring.
"I don't think it was my cleanest performance, but I'm really happy to have pushed through in some tight moments that decided the first set," Raducanu said afterwards.
The British number one acknowledged the friendly competition with Boulter, stating: "It's nice (number one), but I wouldn't say it's the most important thing for me."
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Emma Raducanu and Katie Boulter fell to Lyudmyla Kichenok and Erin Routliffe 6-2, 7-5 in doubles earlier this week
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She added: "Having Katie in front it was nice for me to have something to chase, and now I'm sure she's going to enjoy that with me.
"The grass season is still young and so is the rest of the season. We have a healthy competition between us two."
Raducanu emphasised their mutual support: "I want to see her do well, she wants to see me do well. It was nice to play doubles with her this week."
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