Roland Garros sensation Lois Boisson's Wimbledon dream ends

The fairytale journey of Lois Boisson, the French wildcard who captivated the tennis world with her improbable run to the Roland Garros semi-finals, has hit a roadblock on the grass courts of Wimbledon. The 22-year-old, who soared to world No. 65 after her sensational performance as a 361st-ranked qualifier in Paris, saw her hopes of a maiden Wimbledon main-draw appearance dashed in the first round of qualifying.

Boisson's remarkable rise came too late to secure a direct entry into Wimbledon's main draw, as the cut-off for participation is typically six weeks before the tournament begins. At that point, she was still ranked outside the top 400. This meant she had to battle through the arduous qualifying rounds, where on Tuesday, she suffered a 6-2, 6-7 (1-7), 6-4 defeat to Canada's world No. 197 Carson Branstine.

Branstine now advances to face her compatriot and long-time friend, Bianca Andreescu, for a spot in the third and final round of qualifying. Former US Open champion Andreescu, currently ranked 147th after battling a series of injuries and illnesses, comfortably dispatched Brazil's Laura Pigossi with a 6-2, 6-1 victory. The upcoming match between Branstine and Andreescu marks their first senior singles encounter, a unique moment for the pair who famously won the Australian Open girls' doubles title together in 2017. Branstine expressed her fondness for her upcoming opponent, saying, "I love that girl. Bianca has one of the best hearts on tour, and I'm so blessed to call her one of my best friends."

Meanwhile, several British players competed in the women's qualifying draw. Emily Appleton, 25, mounted a strong comeback to defeat Swiss player Simona Waltert 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-3, setting up a clash with Czech player Barbora Palicova in the second round. Twenty-two-year-old Amarni Banks also went the distance, securing a 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 victory over Austria's Julia Grabher.

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However, it was not a universally successful day for the British contingent. Katie Swan lost a tight match to Spain's Leyre Romero Gormaz 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (8-6). Yuriko Miyazaki battled hard but eventually fell 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to Russia's Oksana Selekhmeteva after forcing a third set. Other British hopefuls eliminated included Ella McDonald (losing 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 to Latvia's Darja Semenistaja), Ranah Akua Stoiber (beaten by Poland's Katarzyna Kawa 5-7, 6-4, 6-1), and Amelia Rajecki (exiting in a 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-2) defeat by Belarusian Iryna Shymanovich). Veteran British player Katy Dunne also lost 6-4, 6-3 to the experienced French player Alizé Cornet, who notably came out of retirement this year.

Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the year, is set to begin on June 30, with the main draw picture now becoming clearer as qualifying concludes.