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

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.

Paul Jubb also reached the second qualifying round after a 5-7 6-4 6-4 win over Switzerland's Antoine Bellier.

But compatriots Jodie Burrage, Sonay Kartal, Ryan Peniston and Lily Miyazaki lost in their opening matches on Wednesday.

Watson, Boulter and Jubb play again on Thursday, as does Liam Broady following his win on Tuesday, with the British quartet aiming for the second of three wins required to reach the main draw.

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.

Burrage, 23, lost 6-3 6-4 to American Caty McNally, while 20-year-old Kartal, seeking to qualify for a major for the first time, fell to a 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-5) loss to Spain's Marina Bassols Ribera.

Miyazaki, 26, lost 7-5 6-3 to Spain's Georgina Garcia Perez, while British number five Peniston, 26, was beaten 6-2 2-6 6-2 by Italy's Matteo Arnaldi.

At the ATP event in Winston-Salem, British men's number four Jack Draper reached the quarter-finals with 6-1 6-4 win over 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem, who is still working his way back after a serious wrist injury.