ELENA BALTACHA’S outstanding three-set win over Joanna Sakowicz was the highlight of yesterday’s $25,000 Caversham International ladies’ tennis tournament at Les Ormes.

Baltacha, the British No 3, and third seed in this event fought back from being 6-3, 4-2 down to win on a tie break in the third set.

It was never easy for Baltacha (world ranked 164) but she fought for every ball, surviving some high pressure points to take the game to a tie break and, despite the lead changing several times, she won through to set up a quarter-final match with the fifth seed, Violette Huck (ranked 215) from France.

Another exciting three set match brought a win for another Brit, Amanda Elliott, as she beat Iveta Gerlova 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. Elliott, ranked 495, will now play Lithuania’s Lina Stanciute (ranked 327), who yesterday put out Jocelyn Rae (GBR) with a 6-4, 6-2 win, for a place in the last four.

The No 2 seed, Britain’s Katie O’Brien also remains in the draw following her 6-2, 6-2 win over compatriot Katharina Brown. O’Brien, ranked 122, will take on Germany’s Tanja Ostertag (ranked 355), who knocked out 7th seed Natalie Grandin with a 6-3, 6-3 win yesterday.

In the other quarter-final, Croatia’s Ana Vrljic, ranked 283, will take on Verdiana Verardi, ranked 451.

In the men’s $10,000 Caversham International, the Brits failed to survive the quarter-finals with Miles Kasiri’s good run coming to an end as he lost 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 to No 5 seed, Carsten Ball, ranked 354.

The No 8, Britain’s Alexander Slabinsky, went out to the No 2 seed, Dawid Olejniczak (ranked 301), who remains on course to reach another Jersey final, needing only to defeat Ball today to do so.

In the other semi the No 6 seed, Germany’s Peter Gojowczyk, will take on Denmark’s Martin Pederson, the No 7 seed, and with the players ranked 376 and 374, respectively, it is set to be a close match.

The men’s doubles final takes place today, not before 4 pm, with the fourth seeds, Britain’s Neil Bamford and Joshua Goodall, taking on unseeded pair Ralph Grambow (GER) and Ken Skupski (GBR).

The four seeds remain in the ladies’ doubles quarter-finals with the top pair, Kelly Anderson (RSA) and Katie O’Brien, playing Britain’s Katharina Brown and Elizabeth Thomas.

The No 4 pair, Britain’s Sarah Borwell and Anna Hawkins, take on Claire De Gubernatis (FRA) and Nicola Slater (GBR) while fellow Brits Stephanie Cornish and Jocelyn Rae face the No 2 seeds, America’s Courtney Nagle and Robin Stephenson.