Talia Gibson is among seven Australian contenders through to the final round in the US Open 2024 qualifying competition.
New York, USA, 22 August 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Seven Australian players have advanced to the final round in US Open qualifying, marking our best result in 30 years.
This includes a record six women, the most Australians to ever reach this stage in a US Open qualifying draw. This doubles the previous best of three, only achieved twice in the past 25 years.
Arina Rodionova, Australia’s top-ranked woman in the field at world No.118, scored a 6-4 6-4 victory against Romania’s Irina Bara in second-round action today at Flushing Meadows.
The 34-year-old Rodionova, who is enjoying her best run in US Open qualifying since 2010, will now play world No.182 Mananchaya Sawangkaew for a coveted main-draw place.
World No.136 Maya Joint continues to prove one to watch, with the 18-year-old securing her place in the final qualifying round with a 7-5 3-6 6-0 victory against Iryna Shymanovich.
Joint, who has improved her ranking almost 550 places since the start of the season and is aiming to make her Grand Slam main-draw debut, faces world No.106 Hailey Baptiste in tomorrow’s final round.
World No.172 Talia Gibson bravely saved a match point in her 6-3 1-6 7-6(10) triumph against American hope Hanna Chang to continue her memorable first US Open appearance.
The 20-year-old from Perth, who also progressed to the final qualifying round at Wimbledon earlier this year, next faces world No.115 Marina Bassols Ribera from Spain.
Priscilla Hon needed only 44 minutes to power past world No.126 Daria Snigur 6-1 6-0 in their second-round meeting. The 26-year-old from Brisbane’s reward is a final-round showdown with the top seed, world No.104 Kamilla Rakhimova.
This is the second time that world No.205 Hon has progressed to the final qualifying round at Flushing Meadows, matching her effort in 2019.
Destanee Aiava continued her impressive march through the draw, eliminating world No.110 Mai Hontama 6-3 6-4. The fourth-seeded Japanese player becomes the highest-ranked opponent that 24-year-old Aiava has defeated at Grand Slam level.
Through to the final qualifying round at the US Open for a first time, world No.180 Aiava next faces Croatian Ana Konjuh, a former top-20 player who won the US Open girls’ singles title in 2013 and was a quarterfinalist at the tournament in 2016.
Meanwhile, Kimberly Birrell booked her place…
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