New York, Aug 22 — US Open qualifying produced an all-Asian lead-in to the main draw as Aoi Ito and Janice Tjen advanced to the final round of qualifying.
Ito, the No. 3 seed from Japan, outlasted Spain’s Guiomar Maristany Zuleta De Reales in a see-saw affair, 6-0, 1-6, 6-1. Ito has already caused upsets this summer, beating Jasmine Paolini and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on the tour.
Tjen, 23, from Indonesia, logged her 99th match win since graduating last May with a 7-5, 7-5 victory over Poland’s Maja Chwalinska. She rallied from 5-3 down and saved two set points in the opener, setting up an all-Asian clash with Ito in the final qualifying round. If she makes the main draw, Tjen would be the first Indonesian to reach a Grand Slam main draw since Angelique Widjaja at the 2004 US Open.
Wednesday’s action was heavily disrupted by rain, with only eight women’s matches started and none completed. The second round was postponed to Thursday, and the final qualifying round was moved to Friday.
Two of the draw’s top teenagers also faced delays but pressed on on Thursday. No. 2 seed Tereza Valentova recovered from a late first-set wobble to beat Tatiana Prozorova 7-5, 6-1, while Emerson Jones overcame Laura Pigossi 6-4, 6-4.
Jones will face Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva next. Kasintseva, the 20-year-old Andorran who is bidding to become the first player from her country in a Grand Slam main draw, trailed Astra Sharma by a set and a break overnight but emerged with renewed purpose to win 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 on resumption.
In another strong showing, British No. 1 seed Francesca Jones rallied to defeat Ekaterine Gorgodze 6-1, 7-6(11).
What to watch next: Ito and Tjen’s all-Asian clash for a spot in the main draw will be the highlight of Friday’s action. The rain-delayed schedule adds a layer of complexity, but the qualifiers continue to produce compelling stories and rising talents.
Summary: Aoi Ito and Janice Tjen advanced to the final qualifying round at the US Open, aiming for a place in the main draw amid rain-delayed action. Valentova and Jones also won to stay alive, with Kasintseva and Jones set for next-round showdowns, and Francesca Jones securing a key win as the field narrows toward Friday’s final qualification matches. Positive momentum and a growing presence from Asian players mark the day.