China's Yuan Yue lost to British No. 1 Katie Boulter in the semifinals of the WTA Hong Kong Open on Saturday.

The sixth seed struggled to find her rhythm early, dropping the first set 6-2. Trailing 3-1 in the second set, Yuan rallied to take it 7-5.

However, Boulter, the second seed, took control in the third by using her powerful forehand to secure the victory 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 after two hours and 34 minutes.

"That was an unbelievable match," said Boulter. "She makes it so hard. I just had to keep believing, keep fighting and try and find a way through."

The win marks Boulter's second victory over Yuan this year, having previously defeated her in the first round of the Australian Open.

With this victory, Boulter climbed into the top 25 of the WTA rankings for the first time in her career. She will fight for the title against Russian top seed Diana Shnaider, who advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 win over defending champion Leylah Annie Fernandez.