Australia’s top-ranked male tennis player, Alex de Minaur, has successfully launched his US Open journey with a straight-sets win against Italian qualifier Andrea Guerrieri. Despite weather-related disruptions, the seventh-seed emerged victorious with scores of 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. His opening match, initially delayed and then paused due to a two-hour rain interruption, saw de Minaur break Guerrieri’s serve twice in each set while only conceding his serve once, wrapping up the contest in under two hours of effective play.
Looking ahead, de Minaur is set to face Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands in the tournament’s second round. The persistent rain in New York has led to a packed schedule, potentially requiring de Minaur to compete in three consecutive matches as he aims for a significant run in the competition.
In the women’s draw, Australian Maya Joint made a notable impact despite her defeat to ninth seed Elina Svitolina. Joint managed to take a set from Svitolina, marking her as the first Australian woman to achieve this feat against a top-10 player in the tournament. The match concluded with Svitolina winning 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-4.
Other Australian participants had less favorable outcomes. Daria Kasatkina exited the tournament following a loss to Spain’s Paula Badosa. Similarly, Taylah Preston was eliminated by American Taylor Townsend with a decisive 6-1, 6-1 result. Meanwhile, Kim Birrell’s challenge was halted by Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova, who secured a 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 victory.