Bernabé Zapata started the US Open qualifying phase with a suffered victory against the American Stefan Kozlov (309º) that will undoubtedly give him the morale to face the next two games, which in case of winning them, would enter the final table of the major New Yorker. If he succeeds, the 24-year-old Valencian would dispute his third Grand Slam of the course, after overcoming previous roland Garros and Wimbledon phases where he subsequently fell in the first round: against Alcaraz in Paris and against Garín in London.
Before Kozlov he had to work hard to overcome the duel in two hours and 21 minutes of titanic battle: 7-5, 1-6 and 6-3. Despite the wear and tear, the confidence of victory and the good level of tennis shown should give him new energy to face his next commitment on the way to the final draw of the tournament against the Italian Roberto Marcora (215º), who got rid of Dominican Roberto Cid with fewer problems: 7-6 and 6-3. The 14-6 presented by Zapata this year of balance in previous ATP phase matches, Together with his best ranking (117th), he gives him a clear favoritism.
He also advanced to the second round of the qualifying round Fernando Verdasco, who had to come back to beat Argentine Facundo Mena by 6-7 (5), 6-3 and 6-4. In the next round, the Madrilenian will face the Turkish Cem Ilkel, who beat the German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe 7-6 (5) and 6-1.
This Wednesday, the third Spaniard present in the preliminary phase of the US Open, Mario Vilella, who will play against the Japanese Yuichi Sugita, makes his debut looking for a place in the second round of this qualifying round.
Parrizas, Arruabarrena and Masarova advance
In the women's qualifying phase, Nuria Parrizas defeated the Croatian Tereza Mrdeza by 7-6 (4) and 6-1 and will be measured in the second round of the qualifying round with the American Francesca Di Lorenzo, who beat the Serbian Natalija Stevanovic by a double 6-3.
The Gipuzkoan also went to the second round of the qualifying round Lara Arruabarrena, who had to come back against the Polish Magdalena Frech to win 3-6, 6-4 and 6-3. In the next phase Arruabarrena will face another Spanish, Rebeka Masarova, who defeated the Croatian Jana Fett in three sets by 6-3, 2-6 and 6-4.
Worse luck had Andrea Lázaro, who could not complete the full Spanish in the women's previous after with the Belgian Greet Minnen, sixth seed of the previous one, which won in two sets by 6-3 and 6-2.
This Wednesday is the turn of the debut for Cristina Bucsa, who will face the Ukrainian Kateryna Kozlova; Irene Burillo, who will be measured against the Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia; and Aliona Bolsava, who will play against the American Victoria Duval.
Carreño solves a complicated start
In the tournament Winston-Salem, One of the last appointments on the calendar to prepare for the US Open, Pablo Carreño asserted his status as first seed to solve a complicated debut against the Korean Kwon. The Asturian, after winning 6-3, 3-6 and 6-4, will be measured with Koepfer in the round of 16.