Harriet Dart and Fran Jones are officially on the board, kicking off their US Open bids with huge first-round qualifying wins in New York. Dart absolutely blitzed her opponent with a 6-0 first set, showing everyone she means business on the hard courts. This is the kind of start that gets you hyped for what’s coming, especially with the main draw feeling so close.
Dart and Jones Are Pushing Through The Gauntlet
Dart, who has made it to the US Open main draw four times and even reached the second round twice, came through a real battle after that dominant start. She defeated Jordyn Hazelitt 6-0, 6-7 (1-7), 6-1. Talk about staying tough after dropping a close second set! Next up for her is another American 16-year-old, Kristina Penickova. Fran Jones also kept her qualifying dream alive, snagging a solid 6-3, 6-4 win against Italy’s Nuria Brancaccio. Jones qualified for the US Open for the first time last year, so she knows what it takes to get there. Her next challenge is Germany’s Mona Barthel. These wins are huge, setting the stage for what should be some intense matches as they chase the main draw.
Ups and Downs: The Brutal Reality of Qualifiers
While Dart and Jones celebrated, it wasn’t all good news for the Brits. Jodie Burrage fell to Spain’s Guiomar Maristany 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, and Henry Searle was beaten by American 16-year-old Michael Antonius 6-1, 6-2 in the men’s event. Antonius, who looks like a real talent, gets a massive second-round match against former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori, who battled past Sebastian Ofner. Former US Open semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov also advanced, making quick work of Lorenzo Giustino, and will face Timofey Skatov. And we can’t forget Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 US Open winner, who cruised with a 6-1, 6-2 win against Eva Vedder. Heather Watson is also back in action Wednesday, facing Angela Fita Boluda. The road to the main draw is brutal, with players needing three wins just to get in.
Arthur Fery, meanwhile, is already looking good at the Winston-Salem Open, grabbing a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Cruz Hewitt. He even fought back from 4-1 down in that second set! Coming off a “stunning run” to the Wimbledon semi-finals, Fery is playing with serious confidence right now. He’ll face Tomas Machac or Mees Rottgering next.
With the main draw getting underway on Sunday, every single match from here on out is absolutely critical. Dart and Jones have the momentum, but they’ve got to keep pushing. Let’s see if they can pull off the full qualifying run!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply