British number one Katie Boulter experienced a dramatic turnaround in her Cincinnati Open first-round match, ultimately losing to Magda Linette with a score of 2-6, 6-0, 7-5. Boulter started strongly, breaking Linette's serve twice in the opening set to take an early lead. However, Linette, ranked 43rd in the world, quickly recovered, dominating the second set by winning it 6-0 in just 25 minutes.
The momentum continued to shift in Linette's favor as she began the third set with a commanding performance, securing her fourth consecutive break of serve to go up 3-0. Despite being down, Boulter fought back, leveling the set at 4-4 and saving two match points at 5-4. Her efforts were not enough, as Linette capitalized on a third match point to secure her place in the second round.
Linette will next face either Wang Xinyu or Liudmila Samsonova. Boulter, the 30th-ranked player in the world, was unable to maintain her initial advantage, leading to a disappointing early exit from the tournament.
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