Kyle Edmund in the first round of the US Open, New York 2018
Kyle Edmund in the first round of the US Open, New York 2018 | (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

US Open 2018 | Edmund, Watson out in the first round in New York

By Ros Satar

  • Paolo Lorenzi def. Kyle Edmund [16] 4-6 6-4 7-5 6-1
  • Ekaterina Makarova def. Heather Watson 6-1 3-6 6-3
NEW YORK, USA – With a packed day of Brits at the US Open, Kyle Edmund and Heather Watson ended their campaigns early.

 

-How to watch the US Open in the UK-

[table “ADAmazonPrime” not found /]

 

Paolo Lorenzi def. Kyle Edmund [16] 4-6 6-4 7-5 6-1

Having made great strides in his fitness, it was a disappointing end at the US Open once more for Kyle Edmund, after cramp hampered him in his first round match against Paolo Lorenzi.

It had been a confident start for the British No. 1 with the pair trading breaks at the start but Edmund nudging ahead with a second break of the Lorenzi serve, and holding on to that advantage to the end of the first set.

The second set was tight, with a couple of break point chances here and there for both players, before Lorenzi broke Edmund to steal the set at the end. Again it was a competitive affair in the third set with Lorenzi’s serve improving all the while to earn him a 2-1 advantage.

By now it was obvious that Edmund, who was cutting quite a forlorn figure at the changes of ends, was in trouble, having treatment for cramp but by then it looked too late to make a difference. He quickly relinquished two service games in a row to bow out early.

As reported by Sky Sports, Edmund said, after the match: “Physically I need to get better. It’s an indication of where I’m at,”

“For sure I’m disappointed I’m like this but I’ve just got to get better. It’s nothing new to me. It’s a shame it ended like it did because it’s pretty horrible.”

Edmund has been unlucky with illness this year. He contracted tonsillitis after Wimbledon which set him back a little, with a couple of listless looking defeats in Cincinnati and Washington.

 

-ADVERTISEMENT | Latest player gear | ProDirect Tennis Shop-

[table “ADPDAll” not found /]

 

READ MORE | US Open Latest Daily Order of Play, Draws, Results, Polls

Tennis | US Open 2020 | Latest Schedules, Draws, Results, and How to Watch

 

Ekaterina Makarova def. Heather Watson 6-1 3-6 6-3

Heather Watson in the first round of the US Open, New York 2018
Heather Watson in the first round of the US Open, New York 2018 | (Photo by TPN/Getty Images)

Despite having recorded her first senior wins at the US Open, albeit in the three qualifying rounds, it was an eighth straight defeat in the opening round of the main draw for Heather Watson. It was a slow start for Watson, who found herself broken twice in succession as Ekaterina Makarova tore through the first set for the loss of just one game.

It looked as though the second set was going the same way, as Makarova broke early in the second set, but the British No. 3 rallied to break the Russian twice on the way to levelling the match.

Maybe experience showed on the side of the Russian, a former semi-finalist here, and the inconsistency that has plagued Watson this season reared its head one more as Makarova got the decisive break to help her on the way to securing a spot in the second round.

As reported by Sky Sports, Watson said, after the match: “I felt like I had a lot of chances today. I definitely felt like I was my most inconsistent.

“Sometimes it happens like that, you wake up and you’re not feeling your best, but I felt like I started to play better as the match went on and I fought hard. But in the third set those errors on the break points were costly.”

The US Open continues on Tuesday, with play starting at 11am (4pm BST).

 

[table “ADTenTix” not found /]