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Duckworth, Polmans and Birrell win US Open qualifiers

3 minute read

Australians James Duckworth, Marc Polmans and Kim Birrell have advanced to the final round of US Open qualifying at Flushing Meadows.

JAMES DUCKWORTH.
JAMES DUCKWORTH. Picture: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

James Duckworth, Marc Polmans and Kim Birrell have moved to within a win each of qualifying for the US Open in New York.

Among six Australians in second-round qualifying action on Friday (AEST), Duckworth needed three match points against Terence Atmane before finally seeing off the Frenchman 3-6 6-4 7-6 (10-8) after two hours and 48 minutes of toil.

The deciding tiebreak alone stretched almost a quarter of an hour.

The Sydneysider next plays Kazakhstan's Timofey Skatov for a place in the main draw at Flushing Meadows, where he reached the second round last year for only the second time in seven attempts.

While Duckworth was put through the ringer, Polmans had no such troubles, cruising to a 6-3 6-1 win over Austrian Dennis Novak in 93 minutes.

Polmans will play either Canadian Vasek Pospisil or young American Zachary Zvajda in the final round.

Pospisil was leading Zvajda 6-3 2-3 when their match was suspended because of inclement weather.

Birrell earlier reached the final round of women's qualifying with a 6-3 6-4 win over Latvian Darja Semenistaja.

The Australian No.1 will play either Hungarian Timea Babos or American Fiona Crawley for a spot in the singles draw alongside returning 2022 Open quarter-finalist Ajla Tomljanovic and Daria Saville, who has entered on an injury-protected ranking.

Fellow Australians Olivia Gadecki, Priscilla Hon and former Open quarter-finalist John Millman were also scheduled for second-round qualifying action on Friday.

Gadecki had just levelled her match 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 with American Louisa Chirico when play was suspended for the day, while Hon and Millman didn't even make it on court.

All three will return on Saturday AEST.

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