For tennis “Devotees” looking for brightness dappled with shades of excitement and intrigue, there was no need to go further than the US Open Men’s and Women’s Qualifying, henceforth referred to as the “Qualies”… which was played Monday, August 18th through Thursday, August 21st at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadow, New York.
The weather matched the occasion… the days were warm, occasionally humid with splashes of rain… A fit setting for the 128 draw Men’s and Women’s competitions… In the end 16 survivors earned spots in the Men’s and Women’s main draws.
I have always been fascinated by the Qualies. For me, they are “The Game” because of all the tales that play out. This year they included… “Tomorrows…” youngsters attempting to prove themselves, along with intercollegiate stars looking to advance their status… “Another Chance…” for one-time tour regulars coming back from injury and/or self-doubt hoping to return to glory… “So Close” those wanting to participate in the final major of the year but based on the July 14th rankings came up “Direct Entry” short, meaning those below No. 101 on the men’s ledger and No. 98 on the women’s, became Qualie participants.
Reaching the US Open main draws was a rewarding trifecta because of the ranking points that resulted, the forthcoming having “played in…” kudos and banking a minimum of $110,000, the amount earned by first round losers.
Qualies are demanding… Each of the 128 draws had 32 seeds based on the ATP and WTA August 11th rankings. The game’s parity was showcased because only seven of the men’s seeds Qualied…12 lost in the first round. For the women, 11 seeds Qualied… nine were first round losers.
Playing on its homefield, the US led the Qualie country count with two men and three women succeeding. Two men from Switzerland and two women from Australia played through, and a man and a woman from Japan completed the international Qualie total.
While The Championships is revered, New York radiates its own grandeur making in the perfect setting for a Grand Slam singles debut.
The following men took their first time bows at the Open:
Jérôme Kym – Switzerland
Martin Damm – US
Zsombor Piros – Hungary
Ignacio Buse – Peru
Coleman Wong – Hong Kong
The women on the inaugural Slam list were:
Janice Tjen – Indonesia
Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva – Andorra
Darja Semeņistaja – Latvia
Hina Inoue – US
Qualie performers who played their inaugural Men’s Open were:
Jesper de Jong – Netherlands
Leandro Riedi –Switzerland
Francesco Passaro – Italy
Shintaro Mochizuki – Japan
Pablo Llamas Ruiz – Spain
Federico Agustín Gómez – Argentina
Ugo Blanchet – France
Those who made their initial Women’s Open appearance included:
Francesca Jones – Great Britain
Tereza Valentová – Czech Republic
Oksana Selekhmeteva – Russia
Lloyd George Muirhead Harris, the South African with the majestic name, reached the quarterfinals at the 2021 Open which was the best pervious result realized by the men who Qualied. Zhang Shuai, who defeated Chinese countrywoman Wei Sijia to earn a spot in the main draw, was the women’s past Qualie frontrunner having made the fourth round at the 2022 tournament.
Zhang, at 36, was the oldest of the “Played in…” group and at 5’11” she was one of the tallest women… 20-year-old Jiménez Kasintseva matched her in height.
Jan-Lennard Struff, the 35-year-old German, was the second oldest of those who Qualied… but being 6’4” he was third in height because Damm topped the chart at 6’8” followed by Kim at 6’6”.
The youngsters who played beyond their age were 18 year-old Valentová and Jiménez Kasintseva who is two years older. Wong, at 21, rounded out the adolescent contingent.
Adding to the Qualie facts, three of the women and one of the men play left handed.
Qualie lore is rich…
Barbara Gerken, a UCLA talent, made it through the three match pre-tournament test in 1981 and ended up losing to countrywoman Barbara Potter, 7-5, 7-5 in the quarterfinals.
In 1987, John Ross went into the history book by event doubling… The former Southern Methodist University All-American played the Rye Brook tournament while attempting to Qualie at the Open. Having Qualied at Rye, Ross ended up a 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 finalist to Sweden’s Peter Lundgren. During the Rye Brook tournament, he made the 25 mile drive for three days from the site to Flushing Meadow and Qualied… then lost in the first round to Lundgren’s pal, Mats Wilander, the 1987 US Open Men’s Singles winner.
Estonian Kaia Kanepi Qualied in 2017 and equaled Gerken’s quarterfinal run before losing to Madison Keys, 6-3, 6-3.
Botic van de Zandschulp duplicated Harris’ men’s 2021 Qualie standard, playing to the quarterfinals where the Dutchman lost to Russian Daniil Medvedev in four sets.
The 2002 Women’s event provided a glimpse of the future as both Marion Bartoli and Svetlana Kuznetsova earned main draw spots… This was a year after French shot maker Bartoli, the Monica Seles-like two hander off both sides, defeated her Russian opponent in three memorable sets to claim the US Open Junior Girls’ Singles title. Two years later Kuznetsova defeated Elena Dementieva, 6-3, 7-5 in the 2004 Women’s final.
Following the match, in what is still an enthralling trophy presentation memory for me…on September 11, 2004, Kuznetsova and Dementieva acknowledged the victims and heroes on the third anniversary of the September 11, 2001, New York terrorist attack… Their caring directness continued when they reminded those in Arthur Ashe Stadium that on September 1st a school shooting had taken place in Beslan, Russia.
Then there is “Emma…” Raducanu stands alone in Qualie fame… How could she not… In 2021, the 18 year old from Great Britain didn’t lose a set during her 10 match Qualie and Women’s title win streak… Ranked No. 150 prior to the tournament, she claimed her first career champion’s trophy, in an unrivaled Qualie performance.
Will any of those who made their way through this year’s event be another Emma… ? Not likely, but given the accomplishments of Gerken, Kanepi, Harris and van de Zandschulp, the possibilities are endless…
Title photo by Laykold
Postscript
After three days of first round play in the main draw, there were notable Qualie performances.
Many of the men followed the three set script… Coleman Wong, in his first Slam appearance, downed New York City’s Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6… Leandro Riedi dispatched Spain’s Pedro Martínez, 6-4, 6-2, 6-3… Shintaro Mochizuki stopped France’s Hugo Gaston 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
In a Quali-off, Zachary Svajda defeated Zsombor Piros, another of the first time major players, 6-4, 6-2, 7-5. Martin Damm, having Qualied for his first Slam, sidelined US Boy’s National Singles winner Darwin Blanch, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Lloyd Harris stayed on theme sideling Argentina’s Sebastián Báez 6-3, 7-6,6-4.
In four sets, Jérôme Kym, the last of the men who Qualied for their first Slam, vanquished the US’s Ethan Quinn, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6. Four sets was also good for Jan-Lennard Struff as he edged former NCAA UCLA Singles winner Mackenzie McDonald, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3, 6-3. Ugo Blanchet was “Four better” than Hungary’s Fábián Marozsán, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2. The tussle between Italian countrymen went the distance before Flavio Cobolli, the No. 24 seed, escaped with a 7-5, 4-6,6-4,3-6, 6-3 decision over Francesco Passaro.
Two women’s showings were Qualie headliners… In her Slam initiation, Janice Tjen – who played at University of Oregon before transferring to Pepperdine University – surprised No. 24 seeded Russian Veronika Kudermetova, (the first seed to lose,) 6-4 4-6 6-4. Tereza Valentova, playing only her third tour event, slipped past Lucia Bronzetti, the formidable Italian, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Not to be overlooked, Priscilla Hon was 6-3, 7-5 better than France’s Léolia Jeanjean.
The Qualie Conquests continued in the second round as Wong sent Australia’s Adam Walton packing 7-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Riedi went down two sets before recovering to secure a 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 decision against Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo, the No. 19 seed. Struff eked out a 7-6, 2-6, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 triumph over Holger Rune, the Danish No. 11 seed. Blanchet Five-Setted the Czech Republic’s Jakub Menšík, the No. 16 seed, 6-7, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6. Kym ended New York stay of No. 30 seed Brandon Nakashima of the US, 4-6, 7-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6.
Hon was 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 formidable against Russian Liudmila Samsonova, the No. 17 seed.
Third round “Qualie features” will include showings by: Wong, Riedi, Struff, Blanchet, Kym and Hon.
To see how they do go to www.usopen.org