Katie Boulter misplaced 9 video games in a row on her method to a first-round exit on the Cincinnati Open, the British No 1 collapsing to a 2-6 6-0 7-5 defeat to Poland’s Magda Linette.
Boulter began the match beautifully, instantly breaking Linette’s serve twice to race right into a 4-0 lead on her method to taking the opening set.
However, all of a sudden, from a place of such dominance, Boulter would win solely eight factors your entire second set as Linette bageled the Brit inside 25 minutes to stage the match.
The Pole, ranked forty third on the planet – 13 locations under Boulter – maintained her dominance into the third set, swiftly securing a fourth-straight break of serve to maneuver 3-0 up.
Boulter would mount a mini comeback after lastly cease the rot within the fourth sport, finally breaking again to stage issues up at 4-4 within the decider – earlier than then saving two match factors when serving down 5-4.
However Linette would convert her third match level two video games later to keep away from a deciding tie-breaker and she or he’ll now face both tenth seed Liudmila Samsonova or Wang Xinyu within the second spherical.
Musetti and Tiafoe arrange second-round conflict
Within the males’s draw, Wimbledon semi-finalist Lorenzo Musetti and the USA’s Frances Tiafoe arrange a mouth-watering second-round matchup after trouble got here by means of their match openers.
Musetti, seeded 14th, beat Nicolas Jarry, the Italian coming from behind to win 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4), whereas Tiafoe made lighter work of Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 7-6 (8-6).
American twelfth seed Ben Shelton additionally got here by means of in straight units in opposition to countryman Reilly Opelka, triumphing 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3) after getting the higher of a few tie-breakers.
What’s developing on Sky Sports activities Tennis?
Within the run-up to the ultimate Grand Slam of 2024 – the US Open – you’ll be able to watch all the largest tennis stars in motion reside on Sky Sports activities as they compete throughout the hard-court season.
- Cincinnati Open (ATP 1000) – 12-19 August
- Cincinnati Open (WTA 1000) – 13-19 August
- Winston-Salem Open (ATP 250) – 18-24 August
- Tennis within the Land, Cleveland (WTA 250) – 18-24 August
- Abierto GNP Seguros, Monterrey (WTA 500) – 19-24 August
- US Open (ATP/WTA) – 26 August – 8 September
Sky Sports activities+ has formally launched and will likely be built-in into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports activities app – giving Sky Sports activities clients entry to over 50 per cent extra reside sport this 12 months at no additional value.
