Katie Boulter through to San Diego Open final after straight sets win

Boulter beat Emma Navarro 6-3 6-1 in just over an hour.

Katie Boulter is through to her first WTA-500 final (PA) (Getty Images)

Katie Boulter will play in her first WTA-500 final after she beat American Emma Navarro in straight sets at the San Diego Open.

It took just over an hour for Boulter who won the first set 6-3 and dominated the second 6-1 against the third seed.

The 27-year-old from Leicester dominated on her serve, winning more than 87 per cent of first serve points and allowed just two break points opportunities against her serve, saving both.

Rain stopped play early in the second set, but the delay did nothing to stop Boulter’s momentum as she produced an almost perfect set to secure victory.

She said she was “very happy with her tennis”.

“Honestly, at the start of this week, I didn’t think I’d be in this position,” she said. “But I’m just going to go out there and swing away.”

Boulter will climb to her career-high WTA ranking after the win as she looks to win her first WTA-500 title in what will be the biggest game of her career so far.

She will play Marta Kostyuk after she beat American top seed Jessica Pegula in straight sets 7-6 (4) 6-1.

It was the 21-year-old Ukrainian’s first win over a top-five player after she came back from 5-1 down in the first set.