2012 US Open Championships Preview
21st August 2012
The world’s best tennis players will assemble in New York City for the 131st US Open Championship. Here we profile the British players out to make an impact at the year’s final Grand Slam.
Men’s Singles
British No.1 Andy Murray will arrive at Flushing Meadows fresh from winning the biggest title of his career at the London 2012 Olympics.
In 2004 Murray defeated Sergiy Starkhovsky to lift the junior title and four years later made a superb run through to his first Grand Slam final.
Murray also reached the last four in New York twelve months ago before going down in four sets to Nadal.
Men’s singles – Qualifying Draw
James Ward will be making a third appearance in the qualifying draw at Flushing Meadows following 2009 and 2011.
The 25 year-old achieved a career best ranking of 137 earlier this year and came through qualifying at Melbourne Park for the first time in January.
The Londoner impressed at Wimbledon where he outlasted Pablo Andujar for a first Grand Slam victory before pushing 10th seed Mardy Fish to five thrilling sets on Court No.1.
Hampshire’s Joshua Goodall will be joining Ward in the qualifying draw after a season that has seen him win 6 ITF Futures titles from eight finals.
Goodall has competed at Flushing Meadows on three occasions; falling in qualifying in 2008 and 2009 but as a direct main draw entrant in 2006 the right hander took a set from Paul-Henri Mathieu.
Women’s singles – Main Draw
For the second consecutive year three British women have gained direct acceptance into the main draw in New York and each will be aiming for a strong run at Flushing Meadows.
British No.1 Heather Watson, junior Champion in New York three years ago, will be confident of a strong showing after impressing on her main draw debut twelve months ago.
On that occasion, the right hander pushed former champion Maria Sharapova to the limit on the Arthur Ashe arena before the Russian battled through 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
British No.2 Anne Keothavong will be making a fourth main draw appearance in New York having made a run through to the third round four years ago.
British No.3 Laura Robson is straight into the main draw for the first time, having qualified twelve months ago. The 18 year-old broke into the top 100 for the first time before Wimbledon.
In July Robson reached her first WTA semi-final in Palermo and then clinched a silver medal in Mixed doubles at the London 2012 Olympics partnering Andy Murray.
Women’s singles – Qualifying Draw
British No.5 Johanna Konta will be making her US Open debut when she lines up in the qualifying draw.
For British No.6 Naomi Broady it will be a second consecutive appearance in US Open qualifying. Twelve months ago Broady narrowly failed to qualify losing in three sets in the final round.
Doubles Draws
Britain will have a strong presence in the Men’s doubles draw with seven players aiming to lift the title in New York.
British No.1 Jonny Marray will be partnering Danish partner Freddie Nielsen after the pair’s fairytale run to the Wimbledon title and will be looking to replicate that form at Flushing Meadows.
Colin Fleming and Ross Hutchins upset Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor to reach the quarter finals twelve months ago and return to the US Open having lifted ATP World Tour titles at Delray Beach and the AEGON International this year.
Jamie Murray will be teaming up for a fourth time with Brazilian Andre Sa after winning the ATP World Tour title in Metz on their team debut in September 2011.
Dominic Inglot will be making his US Open debut with partner Treat Huey after a successful season that has seen them win a first ATP World Tour title in Washington as well as being finalists in Houston.
Jamie Delgado and Ken Skupski arrive at Flushing Meadows having reached two ATP World Tour finals in 2012 at the AEGON International and Los Angeles.
Junior events
A year after Oli Golding lifted the Boy’s singles crown Britain will be well represented in the Boys event in 2012.
Joshua Ward-Hibbert will be making his US Open debut having reached the last eight at the Australian Open in January. The 18 year-old has had major success on the doubles court having lifted the 2011 Orange Bowl and 2012 Australian Open titles with Liam Broady.
Broady has concentrated more on the senior game this year but the 2011 Wimbledon finalist and two-time junior Grand Slam doubles champion reached the semi-finals of the AEGON Junior International at Roehampton, in addition to his doubles successes.
17 year-old Kyle Edmund reached the quarter finals of both the junior Australian Open and French Open this year. Twelve months ago Edmund progressed through to the last four at Flushing Meadows.
Nottinghamshire’s Luke Bambridge will be making a second appearance in the junior draw in New York. The 17 year-old was a doubles quarter finalist at Wimbledon partnering Kaichi Uchida from Japan.
In the qualifying junior draw, Evan Hoyt will be attempting to book a place in the main draw. The 17 year-old made an impressive run to the doubles semi-finals at junior Wimbledon partnering South Africa’s Wayne Montgomery.
In the girls singles, Yorkshire’s Eleanor Dean is an entrant for the main draw.