Linda Fruhvirtova Upsets Top Seed as Czechs Shine in US Open Qualifying

Linda Fruhvirtová pulled off a surprise of the opening day at the US Open qualifying tournament in New York, defeating top-seeded Polina Kudermetovová in straight sets, according to regional sports reporting from Livesport.

Entering the final Grand Slam tournament of the season in the middle of a slump, Fruhvirtová swept past Kudermetovová 6-1, 6-3 in just 68 minutes.

According to Livesport, the Czech player had won only one of her previous ten matches after successfully navigating the French Open qualifying rounds in late May. Her struggles dropped her out of the top 50 in the rankings, setting up an opening-round clash against Kudermetovová, a Russian-born player representing Uzbekistan who was heavily favored despite her own recent form issues.

Kudermetovová struggled immensely on the court, committing 40 unforced errors, including 12 double faults across the 16 games played. She failed to hold her serve once in the opening set and surrendered a 3-0 lead in the second set, winning only seven points thereafter.

Pro Fruhvirtovou se jedná o konec série čtyř porážek a velmi důležité vítězství.

Livesport

The win snaps a four-match losing streak for Fruhvirtová and marks her first victory at Flushing Meadows since her tournament debut in 2022, when she advanced through qualifying into the second round of the main draw. In the second round of qualifying, Fruhvirtová will face Carson Branstineová on Wednesday. Branstineová is returning from a long injury layoff and playing her first tournament since the Australian Open in January.

Czech Players Post Strong Opening Day Record at US Open Qualifying

Czech tennis players finished the opening day of US Open qualifying with a strong 4-1 record, highlighted by multiple players advancing past the first round. Alongside Fruhvirtová, Dominika Šalková and Gabriela Knutsonová both lived up to their favorite tags to set up an upcoming all-Czech showdown.

Šalková, who is still seeking her first appearance in a Grand Slam main draw, battled for over two hours to defeat American teenager Akasha Urhobová 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Meanwhile, Knutsonová dispatched American veteran Varvara Lepchenko 6-1, 7-5. Both victories guarantee that a Czech player will reach the final round of the qualifying tournament.

In the men’s qualifying draw, Dalibor Svrčina advanced by defeating Felipe Meligeni Rodrigues Alves 6-3, 6-4. Svrčina moves on to face Alexis Galarneau in the next round.

Not all Czech participants advanced on the opening day. Grand Slam debutant Julie Štruplová fell 2-6, 1-6 to Polina Jacenková. Four additional Czech players—Lucie Havlíčková, Laura Samson, Vendula Valdmannová, and Zdeněk Kolář—were scheduled to begin their qualifying campaigns on Tuesday.