Katie Boulter reacts as Nottingham Open dominance finally ended before Wimbledon

It proved to be unlucky 13 for Katie Boulter as her unbeaten Nottingham Open run, stretching back three years, came to an end against American McCartney Kessler. Boulter was a break up in the third set but the World No 42, who knocked French Open champion Coco Gauff out of the Dubai Championships in February, hit back to take a high-quality quarter-final 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

"I think it's unfortunate that I lost today - I actually think that was one of my better matches here which is pretty ironic - but she's a very good player and I'm positive that her ranking will go higher in the rest of the year," she said. "I feel very much at home here and I think that does show in that record which will be quite fun for me to look back on when my career is probably done.

"But I'm looking forward to coming back in the next few years and playing here many more times and hopefully getting more titles."

Her next match will be at Wimbledon as she has chosen to skip Eastbourne next week. Boulter's first defeat in 13 matches at Nottingham came down to her inability to take the chances she carved out. She was only able to convert one of her 11 break points.

Kessler had to take on the crowd as well the British No. 2 but stuck to her guns impressively, rallying in the deciding set to close out the contest on her second match point.

Boulter left Centre Court at the end to sympathetic applause with a smile, making the shape of a heart with her hands.

Former US Open champion Marin Cilic won a third set tie-break against Spanish teenager Martin Landaluce to reach the semi-final of the men's event.