Heather Watson is one step closer to her first US Open main-draw appearance in five years after a hard-fought victory in New York. The 34-year-old, who first competed in the main draw in 2011, overcame a set deficit to defeat sixth seed Claire Liu 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. Despite nearly losing a double-break advantage in the final set, Watson held her nerve and will now face Spain’s Angela Fita Boluda in the next round.
In the men’s qualifying draw, Toby Samuel kept his hopes of a maiden main-draw appearance alive by rallying past Italy’s Francesco Maestrelli. Samuel secured a 6-7 (2-7), 6-3, 6-1 victory, setting up an all-British clash against Billy Harris, who cruised past Peru’s Gonzalo Bueno with a 6-1, 6-3 win.
Jacob Fearnley also advanced, defeating Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 to earn a match against France’s Luka Pavlovic. Meanwhile, Harry Wendelken moved forward after a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over Italy’s Stefano Travaglia, and he is now scheduled to play Swiss competitor Remy Bertola.
The day saw mixed results for the British contingent, as Liam Broady and Felix Gill were both eliminated. Broady fell 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 to Italy’s Marco Cecchinato, while Gill was defeated 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 by Francesco Passaro of Italy.
To reach the main singles draw, which is set to begin on Sunday, players are required to navigate three successful rounds of qualifying.
