Qualifying draws revealed for US Open 2021
The qualifying draws are set for the US Open. Find out who our 10 Australian competitors play in the opening round ...
New York, USA, 24 August 2021 | Leigh Rogers
The US Open 2021 qualifying draws are set – and there are 10 Australian players in the field.
Six Australians feature in the women’s singles qualifying draw, headlined by world No.114 Astra Sharma. The 25-year-old Sharma is the No.10 seed and plays former world No.43 Viktoria Kuzmova in the opening round.
Ellen Perez, who qualified at Wimbledon, has been pitted against US Open 2018 quarterfinalist and former world No.23 Lesia Tsurenko in the first round, while Lizette Cabrera faces rising 19-year-old Russian Kamilla Rakhimova.
Maddison Inglis, the No.28 seed, meets experienced Romanian and former top-30 ranked Monica Niculescu.
> PREVIEW: Six Aussie women ready for US Open qualifying
US Open 2021 Women’s singles qualifying, first round |
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Player | Rank | Player | Rank | |
[10] Astra Sharma (AUS) | 114 | v | Viktoria Kuzmova (SVK) | 158 |
[28] Maddison Inglis (AUS) | 144 | v | Monica Niculescu (ROU) | 216 |
Arina Rodionova (AUS) | 157 | v | Rebecca Sramkova (SVK) | 187 |
Lizette Cabrera (AUS) | 159 | v | [20] Kamilla Rakhimova (RUS) | 133 |
Ellen Perez (AUS) | 219 | v | Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) | 180 |
Jaimee Fourlis (AUS) | 371 | v | Usue Arconada (USA) | 205 |
> VIEW: Full US Open 2021 women’s singles qualifying draw
They are aiming to join four Australian woman – Ash Barty, Ajla Tomljanovic, 2011 champion Sam Stosur and wildcard Storm Sanders – in the main draw.
Seven Australians – Alex de Minaur, John Millman, Jordan Thompson, James Duckworth, Alexei Popyrin, Nick Kyrgios and wildcard Max Purcell – are already in the US Open men’s singles main draw and another four are hoping to qualify.
Chris O’Connell, who reached the second round in New York last year, is the No.10 seed and faces Turkey’s Altug Celikbilek in the opening round.
Marc Polmans is also seeded, at No.26, and plays former top 10-ranked Latvian Ernests Gulbis in his first match.
> PREVIEW: Four Aussie men to contest US Open qualifying
US Open 2021 Men’s singles qualifying, first round |
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Player | Rank | Player | Rank | |
[10] Chris O’Connell (AUS) | 126 | v | Altug Celikbilek (TUR) | 174 |
[26] Marc Polmans (AUS) | 148 | v | Ernests Gulbis (LAT) | 195 |
Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) | 186 | v | Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) | 191 |
Matthew Ebden (AUS) | 249 | v | Federico Gaio (ITA) | 159 |
> VIEW: Full US Open 2021 men’s singles qualifying draw
Unfortunately Alex Bolt, Aleksandar Vukic and Jason Kubler are all late withdrawals from the men’s singles qualifying competition after testing positive to COVID-19.