Francesca Jones is the British number five British wild card Francesca Jones missed out on the chance of back-to-back quarter-finals at Nottingham when she lost 6-1 6-3 to seventh seed Linda Noskova. On the day the 24-year-old discovered she had been awarded a wild card for the Wimbledon main draw, Jones battled hard against the world number 32, saving 20 break points in the match. But despite her efforts she was broken twice in each set as Czech Noskova set up a quarter-final against Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova, who knocked out fourth seed Yulia Putintseva 6-1 4-6 6-4. In the day's other action at the WTA 250 event, Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska beat Croatia's Antonia Ruzic 6-2 2-6 6-4 and Leylah Fernandez beat Cristina Bucsa 6-3 6-4. A Briton is guaranteed to reach the quarter-finals, with Katie Boulter facing Sonay Kartal in the last 16 on Thursday. Also hoping to advance is 17-year-old Briton Mimi Xu, who takes on sixth seed Magda Linette of Poland. Meanwhile, at one of the other pre-Wimbledon grass-court events, defending champion Jessica Pegula was knocked out of the Berlin Open in the last 16 by Liudmila Samsonova, losing 6-7 (10-8) 7-5 7-6 (7-5) in a gruelling encounter that lasted three hours and 21 minutes. And there was an encouraging victory for two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur, who beat last year's Wimbledon runner-up and fourth seed Jasmine Paolini 6-1 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals. It was Jabeur's first win over a top-five player in almost two years - and the first time since February that she has won consecutive matches - and comes at an ideal time with less than a fortnight until the grass-court Grand Slam starts.
GB's Jones knocked out of Nottingham
TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:
"Francesca Jones Eliminated by Noskova in Nottingham Tournament"
Bbc News
8.6
TruthLens AI Summary
Francesca Jones, the British number five and a wild card entry, faced a disappointing defeat in her quest for back-to-back quarter-finals at the Nottingham tournament. She was eliminated by seventh seed Linda Noskova, who secured a dominant victory with a score of 6-1, 6-3. Despite showing resilience and determination during the match, Jones struggled against the world number 32, saving an impressive 20 break points. However, her efforts were undermined as she was broken twice in each set, ultimately leading to her exit from the tournament. With this loss, Noskova advanced to the quarter-finals, where she is set to compete against Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova, who achieved a notable upset by defeating fourth seed Yulia Putintseva in a closely contested match, finishing 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
In other matches at the WTA 250 event, Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska emerged victorious against Croatia's Antonia Ruzic with a score of 6-2, 2-6, 6-4, while Leylah Fernandez defeated Cristina Bucsa 6-3, 6-4. The tournament guarantees at least one British player will reach the quarter-finals, as Katie Boulter is set to face Sonay Kartal in the last 16. Additionally, 17-year-old Briton Mimi Xu aims to advance by taking on Poland's sixth seed Magda Linette. Meanwhile, in a separate pre-Wimbledon grass-court event, defending champion Jessica Pegula was unexpectedly knocked out in the last 16 by Liudmila Samsonova after a marathon match that lasted over three hours. On a more positive note, two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur achieved a significant milestone by defeating last year's Wimbledon runner-up and fourth seed Jasmine Paolini, marking her first victory over a top-five player in nearly two years. This win is crucial for Jabeur, occurring just ahead of the upcoming grass-court Grand Slam, as it signifies her return to form with consecutive match victories for the first time since February.
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