Rodionova wins US Open wildcard
Arina Rodionova will contest her second straight Grand Slam main draw after beating Lizette Cabrera on Sunday for a US Open wildcard.
New Haven, CT, USA, 21 August 2017 | tennis.com.au
Arina Rodionova has come through a play-off to secure a US Open wildcard.
The Victorian, the top seed at the eight-player Australian event staged at New Haven, beat second seed Lizette Cabrera of Queensland 7-6(5) 6-1.
Rodionova, who qualified for Wimbledon, will now play her second Grand Slam main draw in a row and her sixth overall; this will be her first time in the main draw at Flushing Meadows.
> DRAW: US Open women’s wildcard playoff
The first set was tightly contested, with Cabrera holding three set points in the 10th game yet unable to convert.
Rodionova, with gritty defence, snared the opening set and then ran away with the match.
The result is a continuation of the form that saw her recently rise to a career-high ranking of No.130 and reach her first WTA quarterfinal in Nanchang.
Despite the loss, Cabrera – eight years younger than Rodionova – is enjoying her highest ranking too, on the verge of the world’s top 150.
Cabrera will have another shot at a place in the main draw when she takes part in US Open qualifying next week.
Destanee Aiava, who fell to Rodionova in the wildcard play-off semifinals, will also contest the qualifying tournament.