US Open: Heather Watson & Katie Boulter win first qualifying round matches

US Open: Heather Watson & Katie Boulter win first qualifying round matches
_126434854_gettyimages-1242253344.jpgKatie Boulter reached the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time at Wimbledon this year

Britons Heather Watson and Katie Boulter both recorded comfortable straight-set wins in their opening qualifying matches for the US Open.

Former British number one Watson, without direct entry into a major for the first time since the 2019 US Open, beat Russia's Marina Melnikova 6-1 6-0.

Boulter, 26, won 6-2 6-3 against France's Fiona Ferro in New York.

Jodie Burrage, Lily Miyazaki and Sonay Kartal will attempt to join them in the second qualifying round later.

Burrage, 23, faces American Caty McNally at about 22:00 BST on Wednesday, Miyazaki will take on Spain's Georgina Garcia Perez in the following match, while 20-year-old Kartal begins her bid to qualify for a major for the first time when she meets Spain's Marina Bassols Ribera.

In the men's singles draw, British number five Ryan Peniston returns to action against Italy's Matteo Arnaldi, while Paul Jubb meets Switzerland's Antoine Bellier.

Ranked 161st in the world, Watson, 30, won 52 of the 78 points played in her match against world number 188 Melnikova as she sealed victory in 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, Boulter cruised into a 4-0 lead in the first set and went 5-0 up in the second - before conceding a couple of breaks back - as she also made light work of her opening match.

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