Kartal leads the way as Shrewsbury hosts the battle of the Brits

Kartal, the British number four who broke into the world’s top 100 for the first time after winning her first WTA title in Tunisia last month, beat Jodie Burrage in a close contest.

Seeded three this week, Kartal, whose excellent run at Wimbledon earlier this year was ended by Coco Gauff in round three, was a 7-5, 7-5 winner against Burrage, who was ranked as high as 85 in the world last September and has recently returned from injury.

Kartal will now face Xu in the last eight after the 17-year-old progressed with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Hephzibah Oluwadare, 16, another promising British player.

Xu impressively reached the semi-finals of the US Open girls’ singles in New York last month, and also played in this year’s girls’ doubles final at Wimbledon.

Watson, the British number five, won the day’s opening match in the DMOS People Arena as she got the better of Beth Grey 7-6, 6-3.

Watson, who has been ranked as high as 38 in the world, said: “It was a very different match today. I felt like Beth played a very good match and did a really good job of neutralising me and my serve.

“I actually felt the better I played, the better she played, and it was quite tough to deal with.

“She’s a really good friend of mine as well. We practise together all the time and I get on with her really well, so that’s never the nicest position to be in, to be competitive against someone you really like.

“I’m really pleased to come through today and hopefully I can keep my good form for the next match.”

Reflecting on being in the quarter-finals, Watson added: “That’s what you want, to go deeper in tournaments, and especially at home.”

Watson will take on Chloe Paquet next after the French fourth seed responded well to losing the first set to beat Nastasja Schunk 5-7, 6-1, 6-4.

Amarni Banks, last year’s runner-up in Shrewsbury, saw her hopes of going further than round two come to an end as she lost 6-4, 7-5 against Daria Snigur, the Ukrainian sixth seed.

Snigur will now face Simona Waltert after the Swiss player followed up her victory over top seed Nuria Parrizas-Diaz by ending the Shrewsbury run of Emily Appleton.

Having progressed from the qualifying rounds, British number 10 Appleton won the opening set but eventually lost 4-6, 7-5, 6-1.

Second seed Oceane Dodin, twice Shrewsbury champion of lower level tournaments in 2014 and 2015, was another player to hit back from losing the first set as she won through 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 against Marina Bassols Ribera.

Dodin, ranked 94 in the world, will now play Oksana Selekhmeteva, who was a 7-5, 6-1 winner over Elena Malygina.

Today’s quarter-finals start at 10.30am, with admission for spectators to watch the matches from court-side stands £22.50, which includes a 40-page tournament programme.

Pictured: Sonay Kartal, the British number four, booked her place in the last eight at The Shrewsbury Club. Picture: James Baylis.

Pictured: Heather Watson is through to the quarter-finals of the Lexus W100 Shrewsbury tournament. Picture: James Baylis.

Pictured: Jodie Burrage was beaten 7-5, 7-5 by Sonay Kartal in the second round: Picture: Malcolm Couzens.