China’s Zhu Lin stunned third seed Magda Linette to reach the quarterfinals of the WTA event in Birmingham on Wednesday.
Zhu, ranked 39th, powered into the last eight with a surprise 6-3, 6-0 victory as she warms up for the start of Wimbledon on July 3.
The 29-year-old beat British number one Katie Boulter 7-5, 7-5 in the first round on the Birmingham grass.
She improved on that impressive result with a comprehensive rout of Polish world number 20 Linette.
Zhu reached the Australian Open last 16, but has never been past the second round of the three other Grand Slams.
READ: Tiafoe’s winning run on grass ended by fellow US player Korda at Queen’s Club
In other action at Birmingham on Wednesday, top seed Barbora Krejcikova started her title bid with a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 win over Cristina Bucsa in the first round.
World number 134 Harriet Dart carries British hopes of a homegrown champion after beating Anhelina Kalinina for a second successive week to make the quarter-finals.
Dart was awarded a Wimbledon wild card earlier in the day and celebrated in style by earning a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory over the Ukrainian fifth seed.
The British number four, who has been playing despite suffering with tonsillitis, beat Kalinina in Nottingham last week on her way to the quarter-finals.
She will face fourth seed Anastasia Potapova or Caty McNally in the last eight on Friday.
“I love playing on grass and I love playing in front of the home fans and I love these couple of weeks the most for sure,” Dart said.
Linda Fruhvirtova progressed to the quarter-finals after the highly-rated teenager defeated Bernarda Pera 6-1, 7-6 (7/3).
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