Alex de Minaur, Australia’s top-ranked male tennis player, successfully launched his US Open journey with a decisive victory over Italian qualifier Andrea Guerrieri. De Minaur, who is currently ranked seventh, secured the win in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4, after enduring a series of delays, including a rain-induced interruption that lasted over two hours. His next challenge will be against Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp in the tournament’s second round.
Despite the disruption caused by persistent rain in New York, which has led to a congested match schedule, de Minaur managed to maintain his focus and performance. He broke Guerrieri’s serve twice in every set and only lost his serve once, completing the match in under two hours of playing time. The weather conditions mean that de Minaur might have to play three matches over three consecutive days as he aims to advance further in the competition.
On the women’s side, Australian Maya Joint made headlines by becoming the first Australian woman to take a set from a top-10 opponent at this year’s tournament. Joint faced off against the ninth-seeded Elina Svitolina, narrowly losing 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-4 in a tightly contested match that demonstrated her potential at the Grand Slam level.
Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Daria Kasatkina exited the tournament after falling to Spain’s Paula Badosa. Taylah Preston also faced a challenging opponent, losing 6-1, 6-1 to American Taylor Townsend. Additionally, Kim Birrell was eliminated by Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, with the match ending 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 in Alexandrova’s favor.
