Tamara Korpatsch exits US Open in first round

Tamara Korpatsch’s US Open campaign ended in the first round, but not before Germany’s top-ranked women’s player mounted a dramatic second-set recovery against Austria’s Lilli Tagger.

Tagger won the opening set 6-0 in 33 minutes. Korpatsch then fell 0-4 down in the second set and faced two break points at 15-40, leaving the match close to an early conclusion.

The German changed the momentum by winning five games in a row. She earned two set points but failed to take either, then surrendered a clear lead in the tiebreak. Tagger eventually won the match 6-0, 7-6 (7-4), defeating Korpatsch for the third time.

Korpatsch, 31, is ranked 48th in the world and recently won her second WTA title in Hamburg, which lifted her into the top 50 for the first time. Tagger had won her first WTA title in Prague before making her debut in the US Open singles main draw. The victory took the Austrian into the second round of a Grand Slam for the first time.