Aussie junior shining in US Open 2022 girls' singles competition

Australian Taylah Preston has progressed to the third round in the US Open 2022 girls' singles competition.


Tuesday 06 September 2022
Leigh Rogers
New York, USA
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 04: Taylah Preston of Australia returns a shot against Alyssa Ahn of the United States  during their Junior Girl's Singles First Round match on Day Seven of the 2022 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 04, 2022 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Taylah Preston has become the first Australian to progress to the third round in the US Open girls' singles competition in more than a decade.

The 16-year-old from Perth, who is the first Australian to reach this stage in New York since a 15-year-old Ash Barty made the US Open girls' singles semifinals in 2011, scored a 6-2 6-7(4) 6-1 victory against Kenya's Angella Okutoyi in second-round action at Flushing Meadows today.

Preston led 6-2 5-0, before 18-year-old Okutoyi fought back to claim the second set.

But the eighth-seeded Australian recovered to dominate the deciding set and secure victory in the two-hour battle.

This matches world No.13 Preston's career-best result at Grand Slam level, equaling her third-round run in the Roland Garros 2022 girls' singles competition.

Preston has won matches at all four junior Grand Slam tournaments this season, also making second-round appearances at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

In girls' doubles action, Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz teamed with Japan's Sara Saito to record a 3-6 6-2 [10-8] victory against American combination Alanis Hamilton and Capucine Jauffret.

Earlier in the day, 17-year-old Kempenaers-Pocz suffered a three-set loss against Canada's Kayla Cross in the first round of the girls' singles competition.

Australian qualifier Edward Winter also lost his opening-round match in the boys' singles competition.

Aussies in action - US Open

TODAY'S RESULTS
Girls' singles, second round
[8] Taylah Preston (AUS) d Angella Okutoyi (KEN) 6-2 6-7(4) 6-1

Girls' singles, first round
Kayla Cross (CAN) d Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (AUS) 6-2 3-6 7-5

Boys' singles, first round
Alexander Blockx (BEL) d [Q] Edward Winter (AUS) 6-2 6-4

Girls' doubles, first round
Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (AUS)/Sara Saito (JPN) d Alanis Hamilton (USA)/Capucine Jauffret (USA) 3-6 6-2 [10-8]

Boys' doubles, first round
Paul Inchauspe (FRA)/Cooper Williams (USA) d Jeremy Jin (AUS)/Gerard Campana Lee (KOR) 7-6(3) 6-1

COMING UP
Girls' singles, third round
[8] Taylah Preston (AUS) v [10] Alexandra Eala (PHI)

> VIEW: US Open 2022 girls' singles draw

Boys' doubles, first round
Edward Winter (AUS)/Togan Tokac (TUR) v Patrick Brady (GBR)/William Jansen (GBR)

> VIEW: US Open 2022 boys' doubles draw

Girls' doubles, first round
[3] Taylah Preston (AUS)/Liv Horde (USA) v Anastasiya Lopata (UKR)/Mia Slama (USA)

Girls' doubles, second round
Charlotte Kempenaers-Pocz (AUS)/Sara Saito (JPN) v TBC

> VIEW: US Open 2022 girls' doubles draw

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