Italy's Sinner, 18, One Match Away From US Open Main Draw
#NextGenATP Italian Jannik Sinner, 18, is on the verge of qualifying for his first Grand Slam. The teenager fought past 28-year-old Croatian Viktor Galovic 4-6, 7-6(2), 7-5 in two hours, 49 minutes to move into the third and final round of US Open qualifying on Thursday.
Sinner, No. 131 in the ATP Rankings, won only one more point than Galovic and will next meet 24-year-old Spaniard Mario Vilella Martinez, No. 202 in the ATP Rankings. Martinez beat Aussie Akira Santillan 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-2.
Sinner won his first tour-level match in May at the ATP Masters 1000 in Rome, beating American veteran Steve Johnson in three sets. The teenager then won his second ATP Challenger Tour title three weeks ago in Lexington.
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Czech Jiri Vesely, who reached a career-high ATP Ranking of No. 35 in April 2015, beat 23rd seed Jason Jung 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 and will face 15th seed Paolo Lorenzi for a place in the main draw. The 37-year-old Italian beat Frenchman Enzo Couacaud 7-6(3), 6-3.
Spanish veteran Guillermo Garcia-Lopez swept American Noah Rubin 6-1, 7-6(3) and will meet Constant Lestienne of France. The 27-year-old Paris resident beat Italian Alessandro Giannessi 6-3, 6-0.