Francesca Jones stays respectful with Nottingham Open triumph over Harriet Dart

The wildcard enjoyed the better of Dart early on but found herself fighting off a ferocious comeback attempt from the 28-year-old after Dart rallied from 5-2 down in the second set, with a chance to level on her serve.

But Bradford star Jones held firm to deny Dart and emerge victorious in the battle of the Brits.

“It’s never easy playing a team member let alone a fellow Brit so I was just trying to keep it a respectful match,” reflected Jones.

“I feel like I let go quicker in the match. Even when it was a tight score, I was the one going after it a little bit more and I know the ball speed is tough to deal with on grass so I just tried to lock in and execute.

“On grass, once you get your first win it’s a lot easier to crack on but the first win is difficult to close out.

“You know how important your serving game is on the surface and the tide can change quickly so I’m just glad I took the balls on in the last game and didn’t hold back.”

Jones also lent her support to her fellow competitor Katie Boulter after she spoke about death threats she received on social media.

She added: “It’s a problem across sport, not just in tennis. We play matches week-in week-out so it comes slightly more consistent for us and I know WTA are trying to counter it but it’s a difficult process.

“These people find ways around the systems that are in place and I don’t think there’s an easy fix.

“I know Katie has struggled with some of this stuff and a couple of other higher profile British players have struggled as well but all you can do is try to block it out.”

Defending champion Boulter extended her winning run at the Lexus Nottingham Open into a third year – and will now face fellow British star Sonay Kartal.

Boulter won her first WTA Tour title in the city two years ago before backing it up last year, and she began her quest for a third consecutive crown with an impressive 6-2 6-2 win over New Zealand’s Lulu Sun.

For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website