Former British No. 1 Elena Baltacha set up an all-British second round showdown with Emily Webley-Smith after bundling top seed Misaki Doi out of the Aegon Nottingham Challenge 6-4 6-4.
Fellow Brit Samantha Murray also advanced to the round of 16 on Wednesday, beating Stephanie Vogt of Liechtenstein in straight sets 6-0 7-6(2).
There, however, are no local hopes remaining in the men’s draw after David Rice was overpowered by Japan’s Go Soeda in three sets 3-6 6-1 6-2.
It was Baltacha’s first triumph on home soil and only second match on grass since returning to the game after eight months out of the game.
“It is a very exciting day for me - getting my first win on grass since my surgery in straight sets,” Baltacha said.
The Scot was determined to make a bigger impression in the second week of the Nottingham Festival of Tennis after going down to world No. 93 and sixth seed Vesna Dolonc in the first round of the Aegon Trophy 10 days earlier.
“This was a big challenge, the top seed, a top 100 a girl who can play on grass. I really prepared myself to deliver today and I’m delighted that I managed to do it,” Baltacha said.
“When I got the draw here I knew it would be a tough, especially after not playing my best tennis last week when I just couldn’t get out of sticky situations
The 29-year-old broke her Japanese opponent early in the first set to take control of proceedings.
And when she again broke Doi to go 3-2 up in the second, the Aegon Team GB Fed Cup star was moving around the court with supreme assurance.
And she needed it, as Doi heaped pressure back on Baltacha’s serve, having to twice fight back from 15-40 down – at 3-2 and 4-3 – to seal victory.
“At 4-3, when it was really tight and she had those break points, I really needed to hold - It was a massive moment for me,” Baltacha said.
Webley-Smith overcame fellow qualifier Noppawan Lertcheewakarn of Thailand 6-2 2-6 6-3 to book the all-British affair.
It will be the first time the pair have met in competition, and a test that 28-year-old Webley-Smith is relishing.
“It is very strange that we haven’t played each other, she is a year older than me and we have both been doing this for a fair while now,” Webley-Smith said.
She will be second up on centre court and well prepared for the tussle after overcoming Lertcheewakarn in a topsy-turvy meeting that just beat the late rain delay at the Nottingham Tennis Centre.
“Having qualified, this was a good solid win,” Webley-Smith said.
“I had a good first set, an average second and just fought in the third. It was all heart and legs at the end – that is what it goes down to after both of us battled away.”
Murray takes on fifth seed Barbora Zahlavova Strycova after the Czech eased past Erika Sema 6-4 6-2.
While the British No. 7 had it all her own way in the opening set against world the No. 188, Voght twice served for the second set at 5-4 and 6-5. Murray stayed composed to break the right-hander and stormed victory in the tiebreak.
“I started really well, played my game and did everything right,” Murray said.
“I expected her to come back, and it was good to test myself and really fight hard at the end.”
Meanwhile in the men’s singles, Aegon Trophy champion Matthew Ebden faces a tough test to salvage his second round meeting against Belgium’s Ruben Bemelmans as he trails 4-1 in the second set after dropping the first set.
Fifth seed Jack Sock of America is down 3-2 in the third set against India’s Somdev Devvarman.
Order of play and full results can be found at www.nottinghamfestivaloftennis.co.uk