Australia’s top-ranked men’s tennis player, Alex de Minaur, has commenced his US Open journey with a commanding straight-sets victory over Italian qualifier Andrea Guerrieri. Despite a disrupted schedule due to persistent rainfall in New York, De Minaur managed to secure a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win. His opening match faced delays and was further interrupted by a two-hour rain stoppage, yet De Minaur maintained his focus and completed the match in less than two hours of playing time.
In the upcoming second round, De Minaur is set to compete against Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp. The Australian demonstrated his prowess by breaking Guerrieri twice in each set and conceding his serve only once during the match. However, with the rain affecting the schedule, De Minaur might need to play three matches over three consecutive days as he aims for a deep tournament run.
On the women’s side, Australian Maya Joint delivered a noteworthy performance despite her loss to ninth seed Elina Svitolina. Joint made history as the first Australian woman to take a set from a top-10 opponent at this year’s tournament, eventually falling 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-4. Her competitive spirit shone through as she pushed Svitolina to a deciding third set.
Meanwhile, other Australian players faced early exits. Daria Kasatkina bowed out after being defeated by Spain’s Paula Badosa. Taylah Preston also faced a tough match, losing 6-1, 6-1 to American Taylor Townsend. Additionally, Kim Birrell was eliminated after a three-set battle with Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova, ending with scores of 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.
