Australia’s top-ranked men’s tennis player, Alex de Minaur, successfully commenced his US Open journey with a decisive victory over Italian qualifier Andrea Guerrieri. De Minaur, currently ranked seventh, secured a straight-sets win with scores of 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. His opening match faced delays and a two-hour rain interruption but concluded in less than two hours of actual play. Up next, de Minaur is set to compete against Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round.
The match saw de Minaur break Guerrieri’s serve twice in every set while dropping his own serve only once. Despite the weather disruptions in New York causing a packed schedule, de Minaur remains focused on advancing further in the tournament. He might have to play three matches over three consecutive days due to the rain-induced backlog.
In the women’s competition, Australian Maya Joint delivered a valiant effort against ninth seed Elina Svitolina, notably becoming the first Australian woman to claim a set from a top-10 competitor at the tournament. Joint ultimately fell with scores of 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-4. Meanwhile, Daria Kasatkina’s run ended after a defeat by Spain’s Paula Badosa, and Taylah Preston was overpowered 6-1, 6-1 by American Taylor Townsend.
Another Australian, Kim Birrell, faced elimination at the hands of Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova with a final score of 6-1, 2-6, 6-3. As the tournament progresses, Australian players continue to navigate the challenges posed by both their opponents and the unpredictable weather conditions.