ASB Classic: Svitolina and Eala showcase title credentials with a contrast in results for British pair Boulter and Kartal

The WTA ASB Classic is starting to get to the business end, with the quarter-final lineups set in stone. The number one seed, Elina Svitolina, will be featuring after she took down Katie Boulter 7-5, 6-4 in Auckland.

After taking a break from the sport at the end of the 2025 campaign, Svitolina is firing on all cylinders, ready to get back to her best and challenge for the most prestigious awards in the sport. She has already taken down Varvara Gracheva in a comfortable straight sets win, and was looking to continue her progress against the former British number one.

Boulter has suffered a huge slide down the rankings over the past year. This time 12 months ago, she was set to go into the Australian Open as a seed. Now, she may not even feature in the event if she fails to get through qualifying in Melbourne. Her downturn in form is replicated by her results on the court, failing to go deep in any competitions in 2025 while continuing to miss a trick in the big competitions.

A return to her best in 2026 is a clear and obvious target for Boulter, but being in the position that she is in, she will be likely in need to defeat some of the best players in the world to get back up the rankings. Svitolina in New Zealand was an obvious example, with a spot in the last eight on the line.

The Brit got off to the perfect start, breaking to go 2-0 ahead. However, Svitolina would flex her muscles and win five games on the spin. It looked like she was going to run a way with it, but Boulter mounted a resilient fightback, bringing the contest all square with a tiebreak almost seemingly on the horizon. This was not the case, with Svitolina taking her first set point to put her in command.

She then broke to go 3-1 up but was unable to capitalise on what seemed like a chance to dash to the finishing line. The same thing happened after the Ukrainian broke to make it 5-3. She was serving for the match but was pegged back by Boulter. Nevertheless, her opportunity would come, taking her third match point in the next game to seal the victory, and another frustrating setback for Boulter.

The prospect of an all-British quarter-final was on the cards, but that will not occur after Boulter's exit. Sonay Kartal is one of two Brits left in the event after getting the better of Ella Seidel 6-3, 6-1.

After reaching a career-high world number 44 back in July, Kartal had experienced a poor second half to the season, but ended with a bang after climaxing at the China Open quarter-final. A gritty first-round victory over Janice Tjen left her with a chance to reach another quarter-final.

It was the German who started the brighter, heading into a 3-1 lead. From this point on, she would win just one game as Kartal streaked away. She won the next five games in the set to breeze towards an imposing advantage, not dropping a point on her serve in that time. She increased her game streak to nine, with another two breaks sending her into an ominous 4-0 lead. Seidel stopped the drought but was powerless for a rampant Kartal to wrap up the match and progress into the next round, where Svitolina awaits.

There have been a lot of tennis fans from the Philippines hoping to see Alexandra Eala produce more golden tennis, with the 20-year-old a trailblazer in the country. She has begun her 2026 well, and continued this with an eye-catching 6-0, 6-2 victory over Petra Marcinko.

The Croatian had come into the match in blistering form, having just won two ITF titles on the bounce ahead of winning her first round match in Auckland against Camila Osorio. Despite this, Eala was a completely different test. The Filipina took just 22 minutes to bagel her opponent in the first set before it looked like Marcinko was starting a comeback. She broke in the second set to go 2-1 up, but those were the only two games she would win, While they were mostly tight games, Eala kept her cool and repeatedly found the goods to overcome her opponent. She finished in style, breaking Marcinko to love as she sails into the quarter-finals.

Her opponent will be former Australian Open semi-finalist Magda Linette after the Pole fended off Elisabetta Cocciaretto 7-5, 2-6, 6-3. After two early breaks from each player, the score was tied at 5-5 in the first set. The Italian squandered three break points to serve for the match, with her instantly getting punished moments later when Linette took the lead.

Cocciaretto responded positively to this, taking a 4-1 lead before levelling the match up and forcing a third and final set. The former top 20 player proved to be too good for her opponent, sprinting into a 5-0 advantage before overcoming a late scare to complete the victory and move on.