Alex de Minaur has survived a gruelling check from plucky Kazakh qualifier Timofey Skatov to soundly progress to the US Open second spherical in New York.
The lowly-ranked Skatov dragged Australia’s world No.13 right into a baseline dogfight earlier than de Minaur emerged as a relieved 6-2 3-6 6-1 7-5 winner after a near-three-hour battle on Tuesday.
After dropping the second set, de Minaur appeared to search out one other gear to race by means of the third after which cost to a 5-2 lead within the fourth.
But after being damaged whereas attempting to serve out the match at 5-3, the thirteenth seed wanted to dig deep to keep away from being pushed to a deciding fifth set.
1 / 4-finalist in 2020, de Minaur subsequent performs China’s world No.86 Yibing Wu on Friday (AEST) for a spot within the final 32.
Chris O’Connell was Australia’s solely different winner on day two, crashing countryman Max Purcell’s occasion as Aleksandar Vukic, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Jordan Thompson, Jason Kubler and James Duckworth additionally bombed out.
Purcell had been using excessive after reaching his maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final in Cincinnati, however O’Connell upset the world No.43 to arrange a second-round shot at third-seeded former champion Daniil Medvedev.
O’Connell prevailed 6-4 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-5) in a two-hour, 52-minute battle between the 2 in-form Sydneysiders.
The 29-year-old O’Connell can be having fun with a breakout season, now projected to climb to a career-high No.61 on this planet after additionally making a run to the final 32 at Wimbledon.
“I know Max really well, I’ve known him since he was eight,” he mentioned.
“I’ve seen him develop over the years and of late he has been playing some unbelievable tennis.
“There’s a load of Australians within the high 100 for the time being, numerous Australians enjoying slams so you’re certain to attract one every now and then.
“Unfortunately I drew Max but at the same time you look at it there’s going to be an Australian through to the second round and that is always a positive.
“So as soon as the primary level is performed I simply really feel all that goes out the window. I simply look throughout the online and he’s simply one other tennis participant from my viewpoint.”
Medvedev conceded only two games in a 6-1 6-1 6-0 first-round rout of hapless Hungarian Attila Balazs.
But the 2021 US Open champion holds no fears for O’Connell ahead of their show-court match-up on Friday (AEST).
“That’s going to be thrilling,” O’Connell mentioned.
“We had a good battle this 12 months in Doha, I really feel I’ve bought a very good sport fashion to possibly trigger him some bother. It was very shut in Doha.
“I am sure he has a good idea of what I am going to bring and I’m going to play similar to how I did in Doha.
“But he’s a high, high participant so I’m certain he’s in all probability going to vary a bit bit from that match.”
Vukic was beaten 6-4 6-4 6-4 by German 12th seed Alexander Zverev, while Duckworth, a qualifying lucky loser who gained a late reprieve into the main draw, lost 6-4 7-6 (13-11) 6-3 to Brazilian Felipe Meligeni Alvez.
Kokkinakis suffered a shock 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-3 defeat to Taiwan’s world No.237 Yu Hsiou Tsu, while Kubler and Thompson both retired with leg injuries a set into their openers.
Kubler was trailing Italian Matteo Arnaldo 6-3 1-0 and Dutchman Botic van De Zandschulp was leading Thompson 6-3.
Australians Ajla Tomljanovic, Daria Saville and Rinky Hijikata are in second-round motion on Wednesday.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
