Jacob Fearnley among Britons advancing in US Open qualifying
Jacob Fearnley was among the British winners at US Open qualifying in New York.
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Fearnley advanced to the third and final qualifying round with a hard-fought 6-4 6-7 (4) 6-4 victory over Frenchman Luka Pavlovic that lasted two hours and 18 minutes.
The 25-year-old Scot appeared to be coasting when 4-2 ahead in the second set, but Pavlovic broke back and then won the tie-break after saving a match point at 5-4.
Fearnley, however, kept his composure to break at 3-2 in the deciding set, then saved three break points in the final game before closing out victory.
Toby Samuel beat Billy Harris 4-6 6-1 6-4 in an all-British battle and Harry Wendelken also progressed with a 5-7 7-6 (4) 6-4 victory over Switzerland’s Remy Bertola.
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Jack Pinnington Jones started well against Finland’s Otto Virtanen before losing 2-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-3.
Harriet Dart fought back to beat American teenager Kristina Penickova 5-7 6-0 6-3 and reach the final round of women’s qualifying.
“She’s a hell of a player, 16 years old, and I really don’t know what the world is feeding these young ones now,” Dart told Sky Sports.
“She was playing some phenomenal tennis and I felt a few key moments didn’t go my way, but I knew if I could stick in there I would see if she could keep that level for the next two hours.
“I tried to stay there and I was really happy to close it out in the end.”
Dart will play fellow Briton Heather Watson for a place in the main draw after she beat Spaniard Angela Fita Boluda 6-4 5-7 7-6 (5).
Fran Jones beat Germany’s Mona Barthel 7-6 (3) 1-6 6-2, but Katie Swan went down 7-6 (5) 3-6 3-6 to American Mary Stoiana.
Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik won a match tie breaker against Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli to claim the mixed doubles crown.
The Czech duo won the opening set 6-3, losing the second 6-1 before rallying to win the tie break 10-6.
Muchova and Mensik had earlier beaten Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev 5-4 (6) 3-5 11-9 in the semi-final, Bencic and Cobolli also needing a tie break to beat Elena Svitolina 4-5 (7) 4-1 10-5.