WTA Montreal: Naomi Osaka beats ninth seed Ons Jabeur in straight sets, Harriet Dart exits but Katie Boulter through
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Updated 08/08/2024 at 09:23 GMT+1
Namoi Osaka was in devastating form on the Montreal Open's hard court to defeat ninth seed Ons Jabeur in straight sets. Meanwhile, Katie Boulter is also through after overcming Bernarda Pera in three sets. Elsewhere, Harriet Dart missed a golden opportunity to claim the surprise scalp of Diana Shnaider, despite recovering from a set down. Jack Draper likewise failed to progress.
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Former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka continued her 2024 resurgence with a dominant display to knock out ninth seed Ons Jabeur in the first round of the Montreal Open.
The four-time Grand Slam winner said she felt “confident” after her straight-set 6-3 6-1 victory and looks well set to challenge on the Flushing Meadow’s hard court at the US Open.
Osaka made her long-awaited return to professional tennis at the start of this year and admitted that she has gone through “mountains and hills” to get here.
“Everyone knows I really love hard court,” said Osaka. “So I don’t know, I wasn’t really thinking too much. It felt very instinctual and honestly when I play the best players like Ons I tend to play better.
“I think if you’ve been following my journey a little, I go through mountains and hills. But now I’m feeling quite confident in myself as a person and a player and I think that showed a little.
“Hopefully I can continue to play a lot more matches, but I think I just really love playing tennis and it’s been an honour to play such a great match in front of everyone.”
Osaka was the beneficiary of a wildcard at this event and will face Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the last 32 on Thursday.
Dart bows out to Shnaider
Elsewhere, Harriet Dart missed the opportunity to claim a surprise scalp in the first round as the Brit was pipped by 14th seed Diana Shnaider in a deciding tie-break.
The world No. 78 fought back from a set down to serve for the match but ultimately went down 6-3 3-6 7-6(2).
Dart was taken off court in a wheelchair on Monday during her qualifying loss to Louisa Chirico but earned a reprieve as a lucky loser to enter the main draw.
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And while the 28-year-old recovered from her leg cramps to give her all against Russia’s Shnaider, Dart surrendered a fifth break point in the crucial 12th game of set three.
Dart showed frustration in the first and third sets, hitting a ball away in anger before throwing her racquet down following a wayward forehand.
But Shnaider was not best pleased with her own performance too, converting just 26% of her break points and recording seven double faults across the two hours and 26 minutes of play.
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Harriet Dart of Great Britain reacts during her first round match of the National Bank Open, part of the WTA Tour, at Sobeys Stadium on August 7, 2024 in Toronto, Canada.
Image credit: Getty Images
Draper suffers swift exit to Thompson
British No. 1 Jack Draper was beaten in straight sets by Australian Jordan Thompson in the pair’s first ATP contest.
In a battle lasting just over an hour, the 22-year-old was broken back at the end of a tense first set and put up little resistance in the second to lose 7-5 6-2.
Missing out on the chance to face second seed Alexander Zverev in the second round, Draper will rue a number of unforced errors, including six double faults.
Boulter overcomes Pera
Katie Boulter secured safe passage into the Montreal Open second round with a three-set win over American Bernarda Pera.
The British No. 1 got the job done in two hours and 10 minutes, setting up a clash with Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia in round two.
Boulter seized the advantage in the opening game of the contest after taking an early break, and looked imperious on her own serve to draw first blood on her first set point.
Pera responded brilliantly though, giving Boulter a taste of her own medicine with an early break that was sandwiched in between two hard-fought holds to give the world No. 80 a 3-0 lead in the second set.
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Katie Boulter in action against Bernarda Pera of the United States in the first round on Day 2 of the National Bank Open
Image credit: Getty Images
Despite Boulter getting a break back at 3-2, Pera responded with another to take a 4-2 lead and restore parity with an emphatic hold to love in the ninth game.
This set up a decider, with the turning point coming when Boulter broke Pera's resistance in an absorbing fourth game which went to deuce five times.
Pera finally succumbed after a third break point to give the Brit a 3-1 lead.
The American tried to battle through on her serve, but was ultimately broken again to go 5-1 down.
Boulter then saw out the contest with a tricky hold of her own, winning after a second match point.
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