U.S. Open Qualies Hits the Big Time
The qualifying tournament for the 2009 U.S. Open started today on the courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, and $1 million in total prize money is at stake, as well as coveted spots in the men’s and women’s singles main draws. There are 128 men and 128 women competing in the first round of qualies on
the same courts where the main draw matches will be played next week. Over the years, the prize money in qualies has increased a lot and this year first round losers will each walk away with $3,000. After three rounds, 16 women and 16 men will have earned the highly-desired spots in the singles main draws, as well as the $19,000 in prize money that goes to first round losers in the main draw. Valuable ranking points are also collected by qualifiers who make it through to the main draw. The ranking points earned at a Grand Slam can significantly improve a player’s ranking helping him/her to gain entry into higher level tournaments in the next twelve months.
The qualifying tournaments at the Grand Slams include top juniors trying to gain experience and ranking points on the pro Tour, journeyman players working hard for the prize money and ranking points available at Grand Slams, as well as a few veterans whose rankings have slipped because of poor play or injuries during the past year or so. At the 2009 U.S. Open Qualifying tournament, players include: Bulgarian eighteen year old, Grigor Dimitrov, winner of the 2008 Wimbledon and U.S. Open Junior Boys’ titles, seventeen year old American 2009 Wimbledon Junior Boys’ finalist, Jordan Cox; twenty year old American and former Wimbledon Junior Boys’ Champion, Donald Young; thirty-five year old American, Vince Spadea; Belgian, Xavier Malisse, who was once ranked 19th; thirty-one year old, Dominik Hrbaty, once ranked 12th; thirty-two year old Austrian lefty (and recent practice partner of Roger Federer), Stefan Koubek; former French Open Champion, Gaston Gaudio; thirty-one year old Frenchman, Arnaud Clement, who reached the Australian Open Final and has won four Tour singles titles and twelve doubles titles including Wimbledon; and Argentine, Guillermo Canas, who upset Roger Federer twice a couple years and was once ranked 8th.
On the women’s side, fifteen year old British hope, left-handed Laura Robson, who thrilled the British fans when she won the 2008 Wimbledon Junior Girls’ title, will attempt to reach the U.S. Open Women’s main draw. In addition, seventeen year old, 2008 US Open Junior Girls’ Singles Champion, Coco Vandeweghe, will also be competing in the qualies this year. Former Japanese star, Kimiko Date Krumm, continues her comeback at the age of thirty-eight by battling it out in the qualies with players half her age! On the other end of the spectrum, former French Open and Australian Open semifinalist and two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist, twenty year old “veteran”, Nicole Vaidisova, now ranked 143rd, is attempting to jumpstart her career. Vaidisova has won six Tour titles and been ranked as high as 7th in her young career.
The qualifying, which is free for tennis fans to attend, continues through Friday, August 28th. At the same time as the qualifying matches, the top pros who will be playing in the U.S. Open main draw will also be practicing this week on the courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. It’s not often that you can watch matches at a $1 million pro tennis tournament without having to pay for a ticket… might be worth a trip to Flushing Meadows!
The qualifying tournaments at the Grand Slams include top juniors trying to gain experience and ranking points on the pro Tour, journeyman players working hard for the prize money and ranking points available at Grand Slams, as well as a few veterans whose rankings have slipped because of poor play or injuries during the past year or so. At the 2009 U.S. Open Qualifying tournament, players include: Bulgarian eighteen year old, Grigor Dimitrov, winner of the 2008 Wimbledon and U.S. Open Junior Boys’ titles, seventeen year old American 2009 Wimbledon Junior Boys’ finalist, Jordan Cox; twenty year old American and former Wimbledon Junior Boys’ Champion, Donald Young; thirty-five year old American, Vince Spadea; Belgian, Xavier Malisse, who was once ranked 19th; thirty-one year old, Dominik Hrbaty, once ranked 12th; thirty-two year old Austrian lefty (and recent practice partner of Roger Federer), Stefan Koubek; former French Open Champion, Gaston Gaudio; thirty-one year old Frenchman, Arnaud Clement, who reached the Australian Open Final and has won four Tour singles titles and twelve doubles titles including Wimbledon; and Argentine, Guillermo Canas, who upset Roger Federer twice a couple years and was once ranked 8th.
On the women’s side, fifteen year old British hope, left-handed Laura Robson, who thrilled the British fans when she won the 2008 Wimbledon Junior Girls’ title, will attempt to reach the U.S. Open Women’s main draw. In addition, seventeen year old, 2008 US Open Junior Girls’ Singles Champion, Coco Vandeweghe, will also be competing in the qualies this year. Former Japanese star, Kimiko Date Krumm, continues her comeback at the age of thirty-eight by battling it out in the qualies with players half her age! On the other end of the spectrum, former French Open and Australian Open semifinalist and two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist, twenty year old “veteran”, Nicole Vaidisova, now ranked 143rd, is attempting to jumpstart her career. Vaidisova has won six Tour titles and been ranked as high as 7th in her young career.
The qualifying, which is free for tennis fans to attend, continues through Friday, August 28th. At the same time as the qualifying matches, the top pros who will be playing in the U.S. Open main draw will also be practicing this week on the courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. It’s not often that you can watch matches at a $1 million pro tennis tournament without having to pay for a ticket… might be worth a trip to Flushing Meadows!
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