US Open 2017: Heather Watson suffers early exit to Alize Cornet

ByEurosport

Updated 28/08/2017 at 21:37 GMT

Heather Watson is out of the US Open after suffering a 6-4 6-4 defeat to France's Alize Cornet in the first round at Flushing Meadows.

Heather Watson suffered another defeat in New York.

Image credit: Eurosport

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British number two Watson was always playing catch-up against the world number 46, and being broke at 4-4 in the second set proved fatal to her hopes as Cornet closed out the match.

Highlights: Watson loses to Cornet in US Open first round

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The 25-year-old Watson remains without a win at the US Open since making her debut at the tournament in 2011.

The British number two insisted ahead of the tournament that the sequence was simply coincidence rather than anything to do with the courts or the event.

Indeed, Watson won the junior tournament in 2009, but has not managed a single victory in the seniors.

Heather Watson of Great Britain returns a shot during the first round Women's Singles match against Alize Cornet of France on Day One.

Image credit: Eurosport

This match was a frustrating one for Watson, who paid for poor starts in both sets.

She was a slight underdog against Frenchwoman Cornet, ranked 46 to Watson's 74 but notoriously unpredictable on court.

With New York refreshingly free of its usual humidity, conditions were very pleasant, but Watson found herself behind from the start when she dropped serve in the opening game.

Alizé Cornet at US Open 2017

Image credit: Getty Images

There was little between the pair but Cornet was the steadier, with Watson over-pressing and unable to take advantage of her half chances.

Watson, who climbed back into the top 100 by virtue of reaching the third round at Wimbledon, saved three set points at 5-3 but Cornet served it out and then broke again at the start of the second.

This time Watson did manage to get back on terms, first at 2-2 and then 4-4, but both times she dropped serve again straight away and a final forehand wide sealed the victory for Cornet.

Results from the U.S. Open Women's Singles Round 1 matches on Monday

Sloane Stephens (U.S.) beat Roberta Vinci (Italy) 7-5 6-1
Ajla Tomljanovic (Australia) beat Johanna Larsson (Sweden) 7-5 6-4
Donna Vekic (Croatia) beat Beatriz Haddad Maia (Brazil) 6-2 6-1
Zheng Saisai (China) beat Alison Van Uytvanck (Belgium) 6-4 3-6 6-1
Aleksandra Krunic (Serbia) beat 7-Johanna Konta (Britain) 4-6 6-3 6-4
Kateryna Kozlova (Ukraine) beat Irina Begu (Romania) 6-2 7-6(7)
Duan Yingying (China) beat Claire Liu (U.S.) 7-6(8) 7-6(3)
30-Julia Goerges (Germany) beat Annika Beck (Germany) 6-1 6-0
Maria Sakkari (Greece) beat 24-Kiki Bertens (Netherlands) 6-3 6-4
Sofia Kenin (U.S.) beat 32-Lauren Davis (U.S.) 7-5 7-5
Sachia Vickery (U.S.) beat Natalia Vikhlyantseva (Russia) 4-6 6-4 6-1
Alize Cornet (France) beat Heather Watson (Britain) 6-4 6-4
Arina Rodionova (Australia) beat Richel Hogenkamp (Netherlands) 7-5 7-5
13-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) beat Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) 7-5 7-5
31-Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Camila Giorgi (Italy) 6-3 6-4
3-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat Varvara Lepchenko (U.S.) 6-0 6-3
Ekaterina Alexandrova (Russia) beat Anna Zaja (Germany) 6-2 6-3
18-Caroline Garcia (France) beat Tereza Martincova (Czech Republic) 6-0 6-1
Kristyna Pliskova (Czech Republic) beat Misa Eguchi (Japan) 6-2 6-2

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