#NextGenATP player Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune’s winning streak is up to 12 matches following a straight-sets triumph over Mitchell Krueger in the second round of US Open qualifying on Thursday.
The Danish 18-year-old, who won back-to-back ATP Challenger titles in San Marino and Verona leading in, landed a 6-4, 6-1 victory over the American in 73 minutes for his second straight-sets victory in succession in New York. The No. 145 in the FedEx ATP Rankings won 81 per cent of first-serve points, including four aces, and 69 per cent on second-serve points.
The 2019 junior Roland Garros champion will next meet Mats Moraing for a place in his maiden Grand Slam main draw. The German progressed 7-6(3), 6-1 over Australian 10th seed Christopher O’Connell.
Turkey’s Cem Ilkel passed the second round of Grand Slam qualifying for the first time with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over former World No. 7 and two-time US Open quarter-finalist Fernando Verdasco. The 26-year-old World No. 189 defeated the 16th seed in two hours and 24 minutes.
It was the 37-year-old Verdasco’s first Grand Slam qualifying attempt since the 2004 Australian Open. Ilkel will next meet Jiri Lehecka for a place in the main draw after the Czech saved a match point in the second-set tie-break to deny Ukrainian 32nd seed Illya Marchenko 4-6, 7-6(10), 6-4.
Former World No. 14 Ivo Karlovic kept his retirement plans on ice for at least another round after the Croatian defeated Bolivian 17th seed Hugo Dellien 7-5, 6-7(1), 6-2. Five years since he reached the fourth round at Flushing Meadows, the 42-year-old hammered 23 aces and won 90 per cent of first-serve points. He will face 15th seed Yuichi Sugita for a main draw berth, following the Japanese player’s 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(4) win over Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.
Former World No. 10 Ernests Gulbis closed to within one win of a first main draw berth at Flushing Meadows in four years. The Latvian dropped just three points on his first serve and never faced a break point in a 6-4, 7-5 victory against Slovak Filip Horansky.
The two-hour, eight-minute victory set a third-round qualifying clash with Quentin Halys. The 24-year-old Frenchman secured a 7-6(6), 6-4 win over Poland’s Kacper Zuk on the back of 89 per cent of first-serve points won, including 18 aces.
American Aleksandar Kovacevic sprung the upset of the day over top seed Benjamin Bonzi, 6-3, 6-4. The World No. 410 overcame a 316-place gap in the FedEX ATP Rankings to defeat the Frenchman in 93 minutes.
Kovacevic hit eight aces and won 78 per cent of first-serve points. He will next meet Marco Trungelliti in the third round of qualifying after the Argentine’s 6-4, 6-4 win over 25th seed Liam Broady.
Source Tennis – ATP World Tour
