World No83 Naomi Broady claimed victory over resurgent Laura Robson in the US Open’s battle of Britain to post only the second grand slam main-draw win of her career.
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Robson was looking to extend an eight-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows, but her compatriot Broady came from behind to seal a gutsy 6-7 (4/7) 6-3 6-4 win.
Having cracked a superb backhand return victor on the first point, Broady broke to love to reach the second round of a Grand Slam event for the second time.
Robson was forced to save one herself in the fourth game, but for the remainder of the opening set she kept Broady at bay while nearly making the breakthrough against the serve too.
The 26-year-old from Stockport will now face world number four Agnieszka Radwanska in round two, and said her progress was testament to her strength of character.
At times there appeared to be little love lost between the two Britons as Broady complained about Robson’s regularly aborted ball tosses on serve, while the former Wimbledon junior champion appeared unhappy when her opponent was taking a drink between each point.
Robson said afterwards: ‘I’m feeling a lot of things right now but mostly disappointed.
In the first set, Watson had appeared laboured as she twice conceded her serve but appeared revitalised as the second set began.
Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard made an early exitfter losing 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to Katerina Siniakova.
“It was terrible to play”.
“I was struggling to breathe and then my back, I don’t really know what it is, but I’ve been to see the doctor”.
Ana Ivanovic tumbled out in the first round for the second straight year after a 7-6 (4), 6-1 loss to Denisa Allertova of the Czech Republic.
Asked if the symptoms resembled her debilitating bout of glandular fever in 2013, Watson added: “I feel similar, yeah”.
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“I’m going to get some blood tests done and figure out what it was”.
