Katie Boulter's Nottingham crown slips as Jack Draper secures significant Wimbledon seeding

British number two Katie Boulter lost her grip on the Nottingham Open crown courtesy of a quarter-final defeat to the USA's McCartney Kessler on Friday.

The two-time defending champion overcame scorching conditions to take down countrywoman Sonay Kartal in three sets on Thursday, but on another sweltering day, rising star Kessler proved too powerful for the beleaguered Briton.

World number 42 Kessler emerged triumphant by a 6-3 3-6 6-4 scoreline in two hours and seven minutes to end Boulter's dream of a tremendous three-peat in Nottingham, where she prevailed in both the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

Kessler's ability to claw back a deficit with the crowd against her came to the fore in the second set, where she twice found herself a break down to the defending champion and twice managed to respond, before seeing out the victory with a fabulous four-game winning streak.

The American's defensive diligence also made a difference as she saved 11 of the 15 break points that Boulter fashioned, while the British number two was also left to lament seven double faults as her 12-match Nottingham winning streak was snapped.

Kessler's reward for ending the holder's reign will be a semi-final showdown with either Rebecca Sramkova or Linda Noskova, and the victor of that contest will battle Daria Yastremska or Magda Linette in the showpiece.

Jack Draper Queen's triumph secures top-four Wimbledon seeding

It was not all doom and gloom for the Brits on Friday, though, as Jack Draper marched to a particularly significant three-set success over Brandon Nakashima in the Queen's Club Championships quarter-finals.

The second seed recovered from a second-set blip to prevail 6-4 5-7 6-4 against the spirited American, thus securing a top-four seeding for Wimbledon in the process.

As a result, Draper - who served a mammoth 14 aces against Nakashima, who struck 13 of his own - will not come up against Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz until the semi-finals at Wimbledon should he get that far at SW19.

For now, the world number six can look forward to a semi-final Queen's battle with Jiri Lehecka, who ended Jacob Fearnley's applaudable run in the English capital a couple of hours before Draper's success.

World number 60 Fearnley was bested 5-7 2-6 by his Czech foe, who recovered from falling a break down in the opening set and capitalised on the Briton's serve and swing failing him in the latter stages.

Fearnley committed an unsightly 10 double faults in the quarter-final, which was his first last-eight appearance on the ATP Tour.

Written by
Ben Knapton