Maria Sakkari eliminated from Nottingham Open by Zheng Qinwen

Greek tennis player Maria Sakkari was defeated by China's Zheng Qinwen in the first round of the Nottingham Open, a 250-level tournament. The match concluded with a score of 4-6, 7-6(1), 6-4, following a 2-hour and 42-minute contest. Sakkari initially took the first set with a strong serving performance, but Zheng rallied to win the next two. This result leaves Sakkari without a win on grass surfaces during the current season, marking a 0-2 record. Zheng now advances to the next round where she will face the winner of the Gibson-Jones match. Despite being ranked No. 41, Sakkari failed to capitalize on the tournament's weakened field. The 30-year-old athlete plans to participate in the Eastbourne tournament next week as part of her preparation for Wimbledon. Sources provided conflicting schedule information, with one report mentioning an earlier fixture date of June 15th while noting the tournament context.