Sixty-four women entered the second round of US Open qualifying. Thirty-two are now one victory away from the main draw, and the national picture has changed considerably since the opening round.
The United States still has the largest representation in absolute numbers, with four players reaching the final round of qualifying. But that number looks rather different when placed beside the 20 Americans who started.
Georgia provides the opposite story. It sent only two women into qualifying, Mariam Bolkvadze and Ekaterine Gorgodze, and both are still standing.
Great Britain has also backed up an excellent opening round: three of its original five players remain, with Heather Watson and Harriet Dart now facing each other for a guaranteed place in the main draw.
And among the better-known names, Bianca Andreescu and Qinwen Zheng are both one match away from completing their journeys through qualifying.
The field that looked enormous two days ago has suddenly become very small.
Georgia Stays Perfect as the American Field Shrinks
The first round had already produced an unusual contrast. The United States and Czech Republic each sent six players through, but the Americans had required a 20-player starting contingent to do it, compared with only eight Czechs.
Round two sharpened the difference further.
Four Americans survived: Robin Montgomery, Elvina Kalieva, Julieta Pareja and Mary Stoiana. That gives the host nation more representatives in the final qualifying round than any other country, but also means that 16 of the original 20 Americans have now been eliminated.
The Czech Republic had a bad day. They are down to three from its original eight: Lucie Havlickova, Vendula Valdmannova and Gabriela Knutson.
Britain also has three, but from a much smaller starting group of five. Francesca Jones, Heather Watson and Harriet Dart all won again, meaning 60 percent of the original British contingent is still alive.
Then there is Georgia.
Bolkvadze defeated Alevtina Ibragimova 6-4, 6-3, while Gorgodze edged Despina Papamichail 7-6(3), 7-6(2). Two started. Two remain.
Who Has Survived From the First Round?
| Country | Started | Final Round | Survival |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 20 | 4 | 20.0% |
| Great Britain | 5 | 3 | 60.0% |
| Czech Republic | 8 | 3 | 37.5% |
| Georgia | 2 | 2 | 100% |
| Netherlands | 4 | 2 | 50.0% |
| Canada | 5 | 2 | 40.0% |
| Japan | 5 | 2 | 40.0% |
| China | 6 | 2 | 33.3% |
Andreescu Turns a Difficult Assignment Into a Rout
Two days ago, Andreescu’s second-round meeting with Veronika Podrez looked like one of the more awkward matches awaiting a recognizable name.
It was not.
Andreescu won 6-0, 6-3, losing only three games and moving within one victory of the US Open main draw.
Her final hurdle is Tamara Zidansek, who defeated Guiomar Maristany Zuleta de Reales 7-5, 6-3.
Andreescu’s qualifying campaign has therefore been remarkably economical so far. She opened by beating Eva Vedder 6-1, 6-2 and has now followed it with an even more emphatic victory over Podrez.
Across four sets, she has dropped only six games.
The prize for beating Zidansek is straightforward: a place in the main draw at Flushing Meadows.
Zheng Clears Burel and Moves One Win From the Main Draw
Qinwen Zheng faced a similarly interesting second-round test against Clara Burel, but she too removed much of the anticipated drama.
Zheng won 6-1, 7-5, dominating the opening set before having to work considerably harder to finish the second.
She now faces Elena Pridankina in the final qualifying round.
Pridankina has yet to drop a set. She beat Alina Falei 6-1, 6-3 in her opener and then eliminated Canadian Rebecca Marino 6-2, 6-4.
Zheng has been equally efficient, first defeating Xiaodi You 6-3, 6-2 and then Burel.
The names may make Zheng Qinwen the obvious headline player in that matchup, but Pridankina’s first two results suggest there will be little room for complacency.
Britain Is Guaranteed at Least One Qualifier
Great Britain may have produced the most impressive larger-country performance of the tournament so far.
Jones defeated Mona Barthel 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-2 and will play Joanna Garland for a main-draw place.
Watson survived an even more dramatic contest, beating Angela Fita Boluda 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(10-5) after almost 3 hours of tennis.
Dart recovered from losing the opening set against Kristina Penickova to win 5-7, 6-0, 6-3.
The catch for Britain is that Watson and Dart now play each other.
Jones gives Britain the possibility of sending two women through.
Four Americans Reach the Last Gate
The United States still has four opportunities.
Montgomery faces Canadian Carson Branstine, while Kalieva plays Czech Vendula Valdmannova.
Pareja, who has conceded only six games across her first two matches, faces Italy’s Lucrezia Stefanini.
Stoiana, meanwhile, came from a set down to beat Katie Swan 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3 and will now meet China’s Yuan Yue.
Georgia has two players left and has not lost anybody. Britain has retained three of five. The Netherlands still has half of its original four-player contingent. The United States has retained one in five.
And now percentages stop mattering.
There is only one calculation left for Andreescu, Zheng and the other 30 women still standing: win once more, and they are into the US Open main draw, guaranteeing $140,000 in prize money.
For much of the field, that is no small sum.