Image source, Getty Images and PA MediaImage caption, Harriet Dart (left) has only played twice in the French Open main draw
ByEmily SalleyBBC Sport journalist- Published6 minutes ago
Britain's Harriet Dart fought back to beat China's Yue Yuan in the opening round of French Open qualifying, but Dan Evans fell at the first hurdle.
Evans, the oldest player in men's singles qualifying at 35, suffered a 6-4 6-4 defeat at the hands of the draw's youngest player - 17-year-old French wildcard Daniel Jade.
The former world number 21, who turned professional three years before Jade was born in 2009, went a break up in the opener, but the teenager claimed three games in a row to wrap up the set and struck the decisive blow at 4-4 in the second.
Now ranked 211th, Evans has not competed in the main draw of a major since receiving a wildcard for Wimbledon last year, where he lost in the second round.
Dart, meanwhile, needed over three hours to move past Chinese 10th seed Yuan 5-7 6-4 6-2.
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The 29-year-old twice battled back from a break down in the second set before storming through the decider to set up a second-round encounter with Spain's Leyre Romero Gormaz.
There was also success for Britons Toby Samuel and Jay Clarke on the Paris clay.
Samuel came through a 24-point tie-break in the first set before dispatching American seventh seed Martin Damm 7-6 (13-11) 6-2.
His reward is a meeting with Belgian veteran and former world number seven David Goffin, who is set to retire at the end of the season.
Clarke, meanwhile, will face French hope Thomas Faurel after beating 6-2 6-2 Australian 23rd seed Dane Sweeney 6-2 6-2.
Players must win three matches to qualify for the French Open main draw, which begins on Sunday, 24 May.
Fellow Britons Emma Raducanu, Cameron Norrie, Katie Boulter, Francesca Jones and Jacob Fearnley all have direct entry into the main draw, but Jack Draper and Sonay Kartal are missing with injury.
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- Published16 August 2025
