Katie Boulter beats Caroline Garcia to set up Simona Halep quarter-final showdown in Birmingham

Katie Boulter advanced to the quarter-finals of the Birmingham Classic after beating Caroline Garcia 7-6, 6-1, and will face Romanian Simona Halep in the next round.

Boulter needed a tie-break to snatch the opening set, winning 7-5, eventually going on to beat her opponent in straight sets, backing up the biggest win of her career which saw her edge past Alison Riske 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 in the previous round.

Boulter’s opponent Garcia was unimpressed with a decision towards the end of the first set after the umpire had overruled the line judge by calling her first serve out on the point, and spent the changeover visibly frustrated.

The Briton took full advantage of her opponent’s distraction to break early in the second set and quickly go 3-0 up.

She fought off a break point in the fifth game before immediately breaking and then serving out the match to love.

“I’m absolutely ecstatic right now!” Boulter said after the match.

The 25-year-old has been given a wild card into the main draw at Wimbledon which gets underway later this month and is beginning to find her form at just the right time after struggling with fitness for the past three years.

“I’ve worked so hard the past few weeks with my injury, it kind of makes it feel worthwhile – and all the tough moments that I went through, and pushing through, really got me through today.

“I’m really happy to be in the quarter-finals and am looking forward to another good match.”

World No. 20 Halep – who will meet Boulter in the quarter-finals – beat British player Harriet Dart in straight sets 6-3 6-2 to reach the last eight.

They will be joined by Sorana Cirstea who beat Aleksandra Krunic 6-1 6-1, and Donna Vekic after her 7-5 6-3 victory against Caty McNally.

Zhang Shuai came from behind to beat Croatia’s Jana Fett 5-7 6-3 6-3.