Olivia Gadecki completes a successful qualifying campaign, while Kimberly Birrell enters the draw as a lucky loser to boost Australian numbers at the US Open.
New York, USA, 26 August 2023 | Vivienne Christie
Olivia Gadecki will contest a Grand Slam main draw for the second time in her career after completing a successful campaign in US Open qualifying.
The Queenslander’s third consecutive match win at Flushing Meadows was her most emphatic one, with Gadecki requiring only 44 minutes to overcome No.26 seed Emina Bektas.
Gadecki registered eight aces in her 6-1 6-1 victory over the American, who at world No.128 is ranked 11 places higher.
It followed wins this week over Frenchwoman Harmony Tan and Louisa Chorica, another American.
Gadecki was dominant from the outset against Bektas, breaking serve in the opening game and quickly recovering from dropping her own serve by winning five straight games to claim the 23-minute first set.
The second set was even more convincing, with the 21-year-old Gadecki surrendering only four points on serve.
Gadecki next faces Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, who reached the fourth round on her recent debut at Wimbledon, in the US Open’s first round.
Kimberly Birrell, who sits just two places below the world No.110 ranking she achieved earlier this year, will also contest the US Open for the first time, after gaining main draw entry as a lucky loser.
The Queenslander won two qualifying matches in straight sets, before falling to local wildcard Fiona Crawley in the final round.
Marc Polmans fell to Zachary Svajda, another American, in his final qualifying match.
Gadecki and Birrell, meanwhile, joins the 13-strong Australian contingent – five women and nine men – in main draw action at the final Grand Slam of the 2023 season.
> READ: Singles draws revealed for US Open 2023
Aussies in action – US Open
RESULTS
Women’s qualifying singles, final round
Olivia Gadecki (AUS) d [26] Emina Bektas (USA) 6-1 6-1
[WC] Fiona Crawley (USA) d [13] Kimberly Birrell (AUS) 6-3 6-3
Men’s qualifying singles, final round
Zachary Svajda (USA) d Marc Polmans (AUS) 6-2 6-1
COMING UP
Women’s main draw singles, first round
Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) v Panna Udvardy (HUN)
Daria Saville (AUS) v [WC] Clervie Ngounoue (USA)
[WC] Storm Hunter (AUS) v [10] Karolina Muchova (CZE)
[Q] Olivia Gadecki (AUS) v Mirra Andreeva
[LL] Kimberly Birrell (AUS) v Jennifer Brady (USA)
Men’s main draw singles, first round
[13] Alex de Minaur (AUS) v [Q] Timofey Skatov (KAZ)
Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v [Q] Dominic Stricker (SUI)
Max Purcell (AUS) [1] v Chris O’Connell (AUS)
Jordan Thompson (AUS) v Botic van de Zandschulp (NED)
Aleksandar Vukic (AUS) v [12] Alexander Zverev (GER)
Thanasi Kokkinaks (AUS) v [Q] Hsu Yu Hsiou (TPE)
Jason Kubler (AUS) v Matteo Arnaldi (ITA)
[WC] Rinky Hijikata (AUS) v Pavel Kotov
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