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KATIE BOULTER posted a comfortable first-round win at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo as she defeated Australian Priscilla Hon in straight sets.
The world number 33 needed just 75 minutes to claim a 6-1 6-4 success and book her place in the last 16.
Boulter led 5-3 in the second set before her serve was broken, but Hon, who is ranked 217 in the world, could not capitalise.
Boulter will next play Japan’s Kyoka Okamura, who progressed following victory over American Hailey Baptiste.
British teenager Mika Stojsavljevic, meanwhile, produced an outstanding display before losing out in a third-set tie-break to Japan’s world number 57 Moyuka Uchijima.
The 15-year-old, who landed the US Open girls’ singles title in September, went desperately close to securing a first WTA Tour win.
She led 5-3 in the deciding set, but Uchijima – ranked more than 570 places above her opponent – dug deep to take the tie-break 8-6 after a match that lasted nine minutes short of three hours.
Stojsavljevic saved three match points in the second set before winning the tie-break, but she could not get over the finishing line as Uchijima prevailed 6-4 6-7 (7) 7-6 (6).
