Jacquet advances in straight sets
In the Cincinnati Open qualifying final on the outdoor hard courts of the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, Kyrian Jacquet defeated Nicolai Budkov Kjær in straight sets. The Frenchman won 7-5, 6-4 to secure his place in the main draw of the ATP Masters 1000 event, widely regarded as one of the most important hard-court tune-ups for the US Open.
Seeded 23rd in the qualifying draw, Jacquet showed from the outset why he had already claimed an ATP Challenger title earlier this year. The 25-year-old from Lyon dominated long stretches of the match from the baseline, giving Budkov Kjær little opportunity to settle into any rhythm. Jacquet finished with 39 winners — more than double the 14 his opponent managed.
Break point conversion proves decisive
The statistics painted a clear picture of how the match unfolded. Jacquet converted 36 percent of his break points and held serve in 73 percent of his service games, while Budkov Kjær won just 55 percent of his own. The Norwegian saved 64 percent of the break points he faced, but it was not enough to stave off elimination. On return, Jacquet won 47 percent of points — a figure that underlines the relentless pressure he applied throughout.
Budkov Kjær, who in 2024 became the first Norwegian ever to win a Grand Slam junior title at Wimbledon and further cemented his rise toward the top of the game with four ATP Challenger titles in 2025, found no answer to the Frenchman's compact, purposeful style. The 19-year-old was faultless on serve — not a single double fault — yet his 20 unforced errors and comparatively low winner count left him unable to trouble Jacquet in any meaningful way. He saved one match point, but that was as much breathing room as he was afforded.
Jacquet faces Sweeny in round one
For Kyrian Jacquet, this was already his second qualifying win of the week, having previously dispatched Billy Harris in straight sets. He will now face Dane Sweeny in the first round of the main draw. Budkov Kjær, meanwhile, left Mason without the Masters debut he had been targeting — though his career-high ranking of 121 confirms he is closing in on the world's elite. A setback in Cincinnati is unlikely to slow that momentum for long.
