While youth was the story on Day 2 of the 2022 US Open Qualifying Tournament, some of tennis' most battle-tested veterans said, "Don't forget about me." Round 1 of qualifying concluded on Tuesday, and draws of 128 men and 128 women have now whittled down to 64 players in each.
Here are four of the top stories from Day 2 of US Open qualifying.
Bruno Kuzuhara impresses in first US Open match
American teenager Bruno Kuzuhara left the Australian Open, the year's first hard-court major, as the boys' singles and doubles champion. At his home Grand Slam, he's impressing against the pros.
The 18-year-old received a wild card to compete in US Open qualifying, and defeated India's Ramkumar Ramanathan in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5.
Ramanathan came into the US Open ranked No. 241, while Kuzuhara owns a fledgling professional ranking of No. 762. After winning Down Under, Kuzuhara reached world No. 1 in the junior ranks.
The first seven games of the match went with serve before Kuzuhara earned the service break that decided the opening set. He also impressive handled adversity: After failing to serve out the match at 6-3, 5-4, Kuzuhara made no mistake in his second opportunity to serve out victory.
He's through to face Italian Flavio Cobolli up next.
Former semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer makes a winning return
Thirteen years ago, Yanina Wickmayer, then just 19 years old, bulldozed through the US Open draw to reach the semifinals. Back in New York after a year's hiatus, and with her daughter Luana in tow, Wickmayer won her first round qualifying match against Anastasiya Komardina, 6-2, 6-2.
Wickmayer announced her pregnancy in later 2020, and gave birth to Luana last April. She played her first tournament back in February, and was back at Grand Slam level in June at Wimbledon. There, she reached the second round of the main draw.
Now into the second round of US Open qualifying, she'll face No. 22 seed Daria Snigur of Ukraine.
Gilles Simon battles back from the brink
Former Top 10 player Gilles Simon isn't yet ready to say 'au revior' to New York. The 37-year-old Frenchman has announced that 2022 is his last season playing professional tennis, and thanks to a big comeback against American Michael Mmoh, he's still alive in the US Open qualifying draw.
Simon trailed Mmoh, 6-2, 5-2, but rallied for a 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 victory. Crucially, Mmoh never held match point despite being one game away from victory.
Simon reached a career-high ranking of No. 6 in 2009, and twice reached Round 4 of the US Open in 2011 and 2014. Bidding to play his 15th US Open main draw, he's now through to face Italy's Matteo Arnaldi in Round 2.
Czech teens stay perfect thanks to Sara Bejlek
One day after 17-year-old Czechs Linda Noskova and Linda Fruhvirtova won their Round 1 qualifying matches, their 16-year-old compatriot did the same.
Sara Bejlek, one-half of the winning junior girls' doubles team at Roland Garros this spring, earned an impressive 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 win over former Top 10 player Kristina Mladenovic of France.
What Bejlek lacks in height at 5-foot-2, she makes up for in hustle. Take this point as an example.
In her first-ever professional tournament on U.S. soil, Bejlek will next face Australia's Priscilla Hon for a spot in the final qualifying round. Hon, playing her first US Open in three years, came from a set down to beat American Asia Muhammad in her Round 1, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Click here for more results from Day 2 of US Open qualifying.
