After Rain Delays: Rodionov Makes US Open Main Draw for the First Time

Jurij Rodionov has qualified for the US Open main draw with a 4:6, 6:4, 6:4 victory against Great Britain's Jacob Fearnley (ATP No. 100).

Second rain delay for Rodionov >>>

The final qualifying round began on Thursday. The 27-year-old didn't get off to an optimal start. Although both players initially held serve comfortably, Rodionov still conceded a break in the decisive stage of the first set and lost it.

The second set unfolded very similarly until the score was 4:4. This led to the first of two rain delays. When the match resumed, the Austrian ace returned to the court fresher than Fearnley. The break to level the set at 6:4 was the consequence.

Ups and Downs in the Decider

Rodionov managed an early break and led 3:0 in the third set for a while. Fearnley fought back, reducing the deficit to 3:2 before the next rain delay. The match was not completed until Friday.

The second resumption of the match resembled a sprint. Both players needed only a few games for main draw qualification. At 3:3, Rodionov fended off a crucial break point. The final decision came shortly after.

The Austrian player demonstrated perfect timing, just as he had in the second set. At 5:4, he earned two break points, which were also match points, against Fearnley. He converted the very first one to advance to the US Open main draw. Spread across two days, the pure playing time was 2:15 hours.

For Rodionov, it's a huge success: It marks his first-ever appearance in the US Open main draw.