Britons Katie Boulter and Jack Draper exited the Mutua Madrid Open on Friday as defending champion Carlos Alcaraz made a winning start to his campaign.
In his main draw debut in the Spanish capital, Boulter looked comfortable playing at altitude and won the first set in comfortable fashion.
But American Montgomery, 19, fought back to clinch a superb 1-6 6-3 6-4 against the 26th seed and reach the third round of the Masters 1000.
Montgomery, a former US Open junior women’s singles and doubles champion, equalized in the second game of the first set, but Boulter took an early lead and broke in the sixth game before a powerful forehand sealed the and.
The teenager started the second set well and fashioned four break points, but Boulter defended them all to take the lead. However, Montgomery responded by leading 4-3 and a brilliant turnaround saw her serve out during the set to equalize.
She then dominated in the third set, but struggled to secure victory as Boulter saved four match points in a back-and-forth tie in game eight before Montgomery finally served out for the match two later.
“Boulter will be gutted”
Boulter will be ‘gutted’ by defeat, says Anne Keothavong
“It’s a real shame for Katie Boulter and she will be gutted, especially after such a good start,” said Anne Keothavong, Britain’s Billie Jean King Cup captain. Sky Sports Tennis.
“She really looked like she was in control of that match, but there was a real turning point in the middle of that second set and she allowed Robin Montgomery to come back and Montgomery didn’t look back.
“She played inspired tennis. She is ranked 183rd in the world and she is only 19 years old. She is a young woman who has the ability to really climb the rankings. She has game and determination.”
Tale of the gang
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Watch highlights of the Madrid Open match between Hubert Hurkacz and Jack Draper
Draper was eliminated after losing in straight sets to Hubert Hurkacz.
The world number 9 reached the third round of the tournament with a 6-1 7-5 victory over the Briton.
Hurkacz cruised through the first set, leading 5-0 before Draper pulled one back and hit his third ace of the match in the seventh before sealing the set.
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Hurkacz continues his domination over Draper with this brilliant half-volley!
Draper won the first game of the second set and Hurkacz equalized with a stylish shot at the net, but Draper began to take the lead.
However, Hurkacz equalized at 5-5 and turned the match in his favor, breaking Draper in the 11th game before securing his place in the next round with a fantastic forehand slammed to the right on match point.
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Watch highlights of the match between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Shevchenko
Defending Champion Alcaraz also got off to a winning start with a 6-2 6-1 victory over Alexander Shevchenko.
The Spaniard broke Shevchenko seven times throughout the match in a dominant victory that allowed him to set up a third-round meeting with Thiago Seyboth Wild.
Speaking on Sky Sports after his victory, Alcaraz – who has now won 12 consecutive matches in Madrid – said: “I think I did pretty well, honestly, the last month I was just practicing slices, volleys and backhands, so I think it worked pretty well today.
“That’s something I was thinking about going into this match, trying to hit the forehand really softer and trying to be aggressive with the backhand, trying to crash the net as early as possible. I think I I had a very good match in this match.
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Alcaraz admits he’s still not comfortable with his forehand despite comprehensive victory
Alcaraz missed the previous tournaments in Monte Carlo and Barcelona due to injury and wore a compression sleeve on his right arm during the match.
Asked if his arm still bothers him, Alcaraz said: “Not at all, but I think about it.
“It’s not going to leave my mind, I think… this week I’ve been doing some good things in practice, hitting harder, but I don’t feel comfortable playing my 100 percent forehand.
“But I think playing at this level, I’m really happy to do it. I think I can be competitive.”
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Highlights from defending champion Aryna Sabalenka’s clash with Magda Linette
Andrei Rublev won her second-round clash with a straight-sets victory over Facundo Bagnis, while holding the women’s champion title Aryna Sabalenka also got off to a winning start after beating Magda Linette 6-4 3-6 6-3 in the second round.
World No. 4 Elena Rybakinawho won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart on Sunday, also reached the third round with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Lucia Bronzetti.
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Linette hammered her racket into the dirt after an unfortunate bounce off the net string saw her opponent Sabalenka win the game and then the match!
What’s happening on Sky Sports Tennis?
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As the second Grand Slam of 2024 approaches – the French Open at Roland Garros from May 26 – you’ll be able to watch all of tennis’ biggest stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete throughout the clay court season.
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