Teen Tennis Sensation Rei Sakamoto’s Dream Shattered: 18-Year-Old Crashes Out of Qualifying Round
News Context
At a glance
- Rei Sakamoto, the 18-year-old Japanese tennis player, lost in straight sets to Lucas Nardi in the first round of the singles qualifying at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open...
- Sakamoto, who recently turned professional, was competing in his first match as a pro.
- In the second set, Sakamoto was broken in the first game and was unable to recover, losing 1-6.
Sakamoto Loses in First Round of Japan Open Qualifiers
Rei Sakamoto, the 18-year-old Japanese tennis player, lost in straight sets to Lucas Nardi in the first round of the singles qualifying at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships 2024.
Sakamoto, who recently turned professional, was competing in his first match as a pro. Despite his efforts, he was unable to break Nardi’s serve and lost the first set 3-6.
In the second set, Sakamoto was broken in the first game and was unable to recover, losing 1-6. The match lasted one hour and five minutes.
Nardi will face either second seed Bruno van de Zansdorf or world No. 337 Yosuke Watanuki in the qualifying final.
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