Key events
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Felix Auger-Aliassime (25) beats Billy Harris 6-4, 7-6 (8), 6-4
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Eva Lys beats Francesca Jones 6-0, 7-5
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Amanda Anisimova (8) beats Kimberly Birrell 6-3, 6-2
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Jannik Sinner (1) beats Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-1, 6-2
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Beatriz Haddad Maia (18) beats Sonay Kartal 6-3, 1-6, 6-1
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Marta Kostyuk (27) beats Katie Boulter 6-4, 6-4
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Iga Swiatek (2) beats Emiliana Arango 6-1, 6-2
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Preamble
That’ll be all from me today. There have been dominant wins for Sinner and Swiatek, but Auger-Aliassime v Harris brought plenty of thrills, the scoreline barely revealing the truth. We’ll obviously be back again tomorrow, when the second round gets going. Cheers!
Felix Auger-Aliassime (25) beats Billy Harris 6-4, 7-6 (8), 6-4
Auger-Aliassime is up 30-0 but Harris just refuses to lie down, levelling up. A forehand into the corner sets Auger-Aliassime up for match point, though. Harris takes it to deuce but Auger-Aliassime sends down an ace and has his victory shortly after. It’s straight sets but it was not straightforward.
Terrific from Auger-Aliassime, shuffling back to nail an overhead smash and make it 30-all on Harris’ serve. Harris – a Nottingham Forest fan (the ATP bio page is a fun read) – is forced to deuce. A wide serve forces Auger-Aliassime to go long but he responds with a passing forehand. Deuce once again … and Auger-Aliassime triumphs in a lengthy rally, both players giving everything now. A chance to break: and it’s a double fault!
Auger-Aliassime leads 6-4, 7-6 (8), 5-4. With nearly two hours and 50 minutes on the board, he’ll serve for the match.
Auger-Aliassime is properly made to work for it as he holds his serve to take it to 4-4. It sounds like a decent atmosphere over on Stadium 17, every point getting plenty of love and appreciation. He leads 6-4, 7-6 (8), 4-4.
Billy Harris halts Auger-Aliassime’s march and has two break points … but two solid first serves lead to deuce. A whopping cross-court forehand gives Harris advantage – amd he takes it, forcing Auger-Aliassime wide to set up the volley at the net. It’s 3-3 in the third set. Sorry for the last post, Billy.
Auger-Aliassime is going in for the kill now, dropping low to complete a gorgeous forehand volley – he has three set points. He needs just one to go up 3-2 in the third set against Harris.
Harris, now properly up against it, has some trouble to contend with as he trails 0-30, 1-1 in the third set. But he’s still fighting, managing to hold his serve.
Over on Court 7, Stefanos Tsitsipas lost the first set against Alexandre Muller 6-4. But the 26th seed, a two-time slam runner-up, has recovered to go up 3-0 in the second.
Tumaini Carayol provides the write-up on Sonay Kartal and Katie Boulter’s defeats. Kartal confirms that it was cramp that got to her in the final set. “Where wasn’t I feeling it? We had calves, we had quads, we had hamstrings, and we had the fingers [clamped down] on the tennis racket.”
But it’s Harris who has set point once again … and he’s annoyed as he goes a touch long. Harris makes an approach to the net to set up his third set point … with Auger-Aliassime to serve. A 122mph serve produces a long return from Harris. Now it’s set point for Auger-Aliassime after Harris nets a backhand. Harris overhits his forehand and Auger-Aliassime is one pumped up and relieved man. He has, somehow, nabbed this set.
Auger-Aliassime leads 6-4, 7-6 (8).
Auger-Aliassime and Harris are 5-5 in their second set tie-break … and it’s Harris who gets to set point first, Auger-Aliassime going long with a backhand. Auger-Aliassime to serve … and he keeps himself in the set with a delicious, whippy forehand to kiss the line. 6-6 in the tie-break …
Eva Lys beats Francesca Jones 6-0, 7-5
Lys triumphs in the end, but Jones fought back well after a miserable first set.
How about that? Auger-Aliassime goes 2-0 up in the tie-break with a forehand pass from behind the baseline to end a 32-shot rally!
Auger-Aliassime jumps into a backhand winner to make it 30-all and he gets himself to set point … but Harris finds a sharp serve to get to deuce, and he resists to force a second set tie-break.
Auger-Aliassime holds to 15 and Harris must now serve to stay in the set. It’s time for the former world No 6 to really step up and deny Harris a tie-break.
Right then, Harris is up 5-4 and serving for the second set. He’s up 15-0 after Auger-Aliassime goes long with a backhand return. A backhand into the net levels Auger-Aliassime up … and out comes another unforced error, a misplaced slice. It’s 15-30 and this is an opening for Auger-Aliassime, up against a man on debut in the main draw of the US Open. And here it is: Auger-Aliassime advances to the net and sets up two break points. The Canadian converts to level the second set at 5-5.
Jones is fighting on against Lys, breaking her opponent’s serve again to go 2-1 up in the second set. She’s struggling on her serve though and loses her grip of the racket after a forehand to trail 15-30. A long forehand gives Lys two break points, and she takes the second. Lys leads 6-0, 2-2.
Harris leads 3-2 and is quickly up to 30-0 on his serve, with Auger-Aliassime netting an attempted drop shot. After Auger-Aliassime levels up, Harris catches him off guard with a shot down the middle, prompting an awkward and long backhand from the Canadian. Harris takes a 4-2 lead in the second set.
Jones is on the board and with a break, too. A fine backhand to the corner sets her up for a forehand smash – she leads 15-0 on her serve. A backhand winner down the line from Lys in response is so good that Jones has to applaud it. Another down-the-line backhand makes it 15-30, and Lys marches on to break back and level up. Lys leads 6-0, 1-1.
Billy Harris is storming back! I left him for a couple minutes and and he’s suddenly up 2-0 in the second set after a love hold.
Francesca Jones is having a pretty tough time. She’s serving while down 0-5, and Lys has set point … she wins it as Jones nets a forehand. Jones celebrated reaching the top 100 for the first time last month but is feeling the brutality of the highest level here.
Harris overdoes it with a drop shot and Auger-Aliassime capitalises – set point. He converts it, too, with Harris landing a forehand well wide. Auger-Aliassime takes the first set 6-4.
Harris has a chance to break against Auger-Aliassime but the 25th seed manages to hold, the game sealed with a deft volley, his lead 5-4. There’s not a great deal separating these two at the moment – they’re level on winners and not far off in terms of unforced errors.
Francesca Jones is down a break against Eva Lys, who has produced career-best runs in the other three slams this year, her best effort a fourth-round finish in Australia. Lys leads 3-0 in the first set.
Auger-Aliassime holds to love before Harris goes up 30-0 after a 15-shot rally, and Auger-Aliassime fires wide with a forehand return. It’s another love hold, taking the first set to 4-4.
Harris breaks Auger-Aliassime thanks to a double fault, with the Canadian leading 3-2. Harris’ confidence grows as he races to a 40-0 lead, and a deep forehand forces a long backhand from Auger-Aliassime. 3-3, and the seeded player is feeling some heat.
Harris is forced to deuce but is finally on the board as Auger-Aliassime leads 3-1. There’s another Brit in action on Court 6, with qualifier Francesca Jones meeting Eva Lys.
Hello again, friends. There’s British representation over on Stadium 17, with Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime taking on Billy Harris, a lucky loser. The 30-year-old enjoyed the best slam display of his career when he made it to the second round of Wimbledon this year. Auger-Aliassime, the 25th seed, has moved to a 3-0 lead in the first set.
That’s all from me – Taha is back! Good night.
Amanda Anisimova (8) beats Kimberly Birrell 6-3, 6-2
Job done for the No 8 seed.
“It felt great – first matches are not easy to get used to the rhythm,” Iga Swiatek said after thrashing Emiliana Arango 6-1, 6-2 in the first round earlier. “It was a solid match. I am happy I wasn’t trying to overpower.”
Is she happy to see all the Polish fans?
“Polish fans are kind of everywhere. It’s super-nice to feel the support always … it’s great. But I also appreciate people who come from different countries.”
Swiatek lost
Tumaini Carayol
During the typically chaotic media day before Wimbledon in June, Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper were working through their commitments when they briefly crossed paths in the broadcast media mixed zone. As they warmly greeted each other, Sinner looked his good friend up and down, and a smile spread across his face: “Always stronger,” he said, jokingly flexing both arms.
Draper, who responded with a sheepish, embarrassed laugh, has heard such observations many times in recent months. At the same time that he has risen up the rankings over the past 15 months, transforming himself into one of the best in the world, he has become one of the most physically strong players on the ATP Tour.
Maya Joint’s extraordinary 2025 success story has begun its latest chapter on another positive note with the fearless Australian youngster successfully negotiating her opening US Open clash at Flushing Meadows.
What do you think of Alcaraz’s new barnet? It’ll grow back.
In the women’s singles, the seeded players yet to take to the court are as follows:
Ashlyn Krueger v Sofia Kenin (26)
Laura Siegemund v Diana Shnaider (20)
Ekaterina Alexandrova (13) v Anastasija Sevastova
What’s coming up in the men’s and women’s singles? Good question.
Felix Auger Aliassime is up against Billy Harris on Court 17 imminently.
Alex de Minaur (8) is facing his Australian Chris O’Connell a bit later, and Stefanos Tsitsipas (26) v Alexandre Müller will be lighting up Court 7.
“It feels great to be back here, it’s a very special tournament, the last grand slam of the year, the atmosphere is always amazing, thanks to everyone for coming, for cheering and supporting,” says Sinner.
“I’m feeling healthy again [after illness in Cincinatti] … we did our best to be in the best possible shape … let’s see what’s coming.
“Amazing memories,” he says of winning last year. “A lot of emotions coming back to this grand slam. [But] Every day is different.”
‘I’m very happy to be back here.”
Sinner was “under absolutely no pressure whatsoever” observes one of the commentators.
“One way traffic from start to finish,” chips in Tim Henman. “Sinner looking so comfortable, so confident.”
Jannik Sinner (1) beats Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-1, 6-2
Les jeux sont faits.
Fun fact: In 2021, Kopriva beat Denis Shapovalov in the second round at the Swiss Open. That is his one win against a top-10 player.
Kopriva lost 6-1 6-2 6-2 to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon last year.
Sinner 6-1, 6-1, 5-2 *Kopriva (*denotes next server)
A glimmer for Kopriva at 0-30. Sinner wins an imperious point next up, and it looks like the danger will soon be over, but then Kopriva wins a long rally thanks to a drop shot and a handsome cross-court winner with Sinner coming to the net. Two break points, but very quickly it’s back to deuce, and the Italian wastes one advantage, but makes no such mistake next up. This really is some of the lowest-key tennis I’ve seen in a long time, based on how much bother Kopriva is causing Sinner, ie zero.
*Sinner 6-1, 6-1, 4-2 Kopriva (*denotes next server)
A precious hold for Kopriva. Are you watching/reading? Mail me.
Francisco Cerundolo, the No 19 seed, leads Matteo Arnaldi 3-1 in their fifth and deciding set over on Court 7.
Sinner 6-1, 6-1, 4-1 *Kopriva (*denotes next server)
Kopriva seems to be mishitting everything. Seems like a case of stagefright, or is there some other bizarre, unknown reason behind this meltdown?
*Sinner 6-1, 6-1, 3-1 Kopriva (*denotes next server)
At 15-30, Kopriva miscues horribly with a regulation stroke from the back of the court and it’s two break points for Sinner. Then he double faults, handing his illustrious opponent a very easy game. Sinner isn’t having to do much here, and he should be safely through shortly.
I can’t even tell you the fun fact about Kopriva hailing from the same Czech town as Petra Kvitova, as I see Taha already mentioned it.
Sinner 6-1, 6-1, 2-1 *Kopriva (*denotes next server)
A regulation hold for Sinner, to -15, and it remains on serve in the third set.
Jack Draper is now pictured, having a hit on one of the back courts, following his win yesterday against the big-hitting Federico Agustín Gómez.
Draper faces Zizou Bergs, the world No 48, of Belgium in the second round on Thursday.
Thanks Taha. Hi all. Kopriva holds, and it’s 1-1 in the third set.
Luke McLaughlin is going to step in while I steal a break. Keep him company.
Amanda Anisimova is seeded eighth and up against Australia’s Kimberly Birrell. They’re 1-1 in the opening set, Anisimova looking to build on her run to the final of Wimbledon. That last match in south London was a brutal experience but this is her home slam … and, well, look at that – she races through a hold to lead 2-1.
Sinner skips to the net, dictating the point to leave Kopriva stretching for a forehand and on the floor. The No 1 has two set points, and Kopriva provides a double fault. Sinner leads 6-1, 6-1 with just over an hour on the board.
Kopriva hails from Fulnek in the Czech Republic and grew up in the same area as Petra Kvitova, who bowed out of the professional game yesterday. Sinner isn’t bothered about the backstory, though; relentless, he breaks once again and leads 4-1 in the second set.
Sinner is already up a break in the second set but Kopriva delivers a love hold, closed out with successive aces. The Italian leads 6-1, 2-1.
