Britain’s Harriet Dart breezed into the second round of the U.S. Open on Monday with a straight sets win over Chloe Paquet, though her compatriot Jan Choinski fell to a heartbreaking defeat in five sets on his main-draw debut at Flushing Meadows.
Dart, the British No. 3, won 6-2, 6-1 against her French opponent, showing a newfound power in her service games which have traditionally been a weakness for the 28-year-old.
Her game started later than expected as a result of Choinski’s epic, the British men’s No. 10 falling just short against Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena.
Choinski earned his first-ever spot in the main draw by winning three qualifying matches but it looked as though his stay would be short after a number of unforced errors saw him down two sets.
An impressive recovery ensued and Choinski had five break points to start the fifth set. He was unable to convert any of them, however, and Carballes Baena took advantage with a break of his own in the next game which proved to be the decisive blow.
“All in all, I’m happy how I performed in this match and it’s something I can build on in the future for sure,” Choinski said.
Several other Brits begin their campaigns in New York on Tuesday, including Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, Jack Draper and Dan Evans.