Australians Astra Sharma and Maddison Inglis have progressed through to the final round in the US Open 2022 qualifying competition.
New York, USA, 26 August 2022 | Matthew Trollope
Astra Sharma and Maddison Inglis both stand one win away from the US Open main draw after winning second-round qualifying matches today.
Sharma recovered from 2-6 0-4 down to defeat Hungary’s Reka-Luka Jani, after Inglis notched a 6-4 6-3 win over American wildcard Valerie Glozman.
Kimberly Birrell came extremely close to setting a final-round qualifying battle against Sharma, yet eventually fell in a high-quality 6-2 2-6 6-4 match to Viktorija Golubic, a former world No.35 and Wimbledon 2021 quarterfinalist.
In other Australian results, Priscilla Hon lost 6-4 6-1 to in-form Czech Sara Bejlek, while Max Purcell found No.2 seed Daniel Elahi Galan too strong, falling 7-6(6) 6-4.
Another Aussie, Lizette Cabrera, is still to play her second-round match.
For Sharma, this was a second straight dramatic match at Flushing Meadows, after saving a match point to beat Jessika Ponchet 1-6 6-1 7-6(10) in the opening round of qualifying.
The former world No.84 had lost five of six matches before arriving in New York, and said gritty victories such as these were especially rewarding in what had been a trying season.
“I just really focused on getting my energy up and being competitive. (I was) not really competing until I hit that point (down 2-6 0-4) so I was just like, ‘I gotta do something, if I’m gonna lose, I gotta do this the right way and actually compete more’,” Sharma told tennis.com.au after the two-and-a-half-hour tussle.
“I’m just really proud of myself, because this is exactly what I’ve been trying to work on the whole week, and just making it a habit to always come out like that.”
Sharma qualified at the most recent Wimbledon, and also at the US Open last year, and said she would love another opportunity to contest the main draw of a major tournament.
Despite having slipped to world No.191, the West Australian holds an impressive streak of 14 consecutive Grand Slam main-draw appearances.
“It would be amazing. I’d love to be back in the main draw. I’m just taking it one step at a time,” Sharma said.
“I haven’t had the best year but I think I’m starting to get on the right track and turn around my mentality and this is just so important, these matches.”
> READ: US Open 2022 singles main draws revealed
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