Katie Boulter Battles Past Harriet Dart in Nottingham Open Thriller

Katie Boulter, the defending champion, narrowly defeated Harriet Dart in an intense all-British encounter at the Nottingham Open to advance to the second round. Boulter’s victory came after a grueling battle, securing her a spot in the next stage of the tournament. Boulter, the third seed, clinched the victory after a grueling three-hour and 13-minute battle, winning 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 7-5. Dart’s repeated arguments with the chair umpire marred the match, causing tension and frustration on the court. During a break, Dart argued fiercely with umpire Kelly Rask over a disputed call. The tense moment added to the drama of the match.

Despite the contentious nature of the match, Katie Boulter commended Dart’s performance and expressed relief at securing the win. British number five Heather Watson progressed to the second round with a rain-disrupted victory over American Kayla Day. Watson faces sixth seed Karolina Pliskova next. Lily Miyazaki and Emily Appleton suffered first-round defeats. Emma Raducanu starts against Ena Shibahara; Ons Jabeur takes on Camila Osorio. In the men’s Challenger event, second seed Dan Evans’ match was suspended due to poor light and will resume on Tuesday.

Fellow Briton Paul Jubb secured a victory while Cameron Norrie, the top seed, is scheduled to start his campaign on Tuesday. In Stuttgart, British player Jack Draper won his grass season opener by defeating Austrian Sebastian Ofner. Draper’s victory sets up a potential encounter with fellow Briton Andy Murray in the next round. Murray, gearing up for potentially his last Wimbledon will face American Marcos Giron in his first match. The 37-year-old will also team up with his brother Jamie in the men’s doubles at Wimbledon, marking their first Grand Slam appearance as a pair.