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Heavy rain at the US Open forced Katie Boulter’s second-round fixture against Karolina Muchova under the roof of the Louis Armstrong Stadium, as wet weather threatened the tournament schedule for a second straight day.
The shift to the prestigious arena, named after the iconic jazz musician, brought no joy for the British number one. She suffered a severe 6-1 6-0 defeat in under an hour, marking the worst grand slam loss of her career.
Boulter, 30, had opened the match brightly by breaking Muchova’s serve in the very first game and forcing another break point during the Czech’s second.
ossHowever, Muchova — a runner-up at Wimbledon earlier this year — soon asserted complete control over the contest, leaving Boulter unable to secure another game.
In a bruising 58-minute encounter, the Briton lost seven service games out of seven, committing 21 unforced errors while managing a total of just four winners.
Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova celebrates after beating Boulter (Reuters)
Britain’s Jan Choinski made it to day four at the US Open, but was still a first-round casualty.
The towering German-born 30-year-old was beaten in straight sets by fellow beanpole, Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Getting to the first Wednesday at Flushing Meadows is usually a notable achievement for a British player.
But Choinski’s stay at the tournament was only extended after his first-round match was pushed back by the rain in New York.
A handful of players were already through to round three by the time Choinski took to the court, but he was soundly beaten in the big-serving battle 6-3 6-1 7-6 (5) in just under two hours.
Choinski is coached by his girlfriend Sophia, who was shouting encouragement from his players’ box.
He said: “She always tries to help me, tries to keep me positive, for sure.
“In the first set it was quite good, I had some chances but from that point it got tough.
“The guy was playing aggressively and she just keeps me fighting and motivated. But in a match like that it’s quite tough.”