‘Lucky loser’ Polansky in U.S. Open main draw now
Canadian Peter Polansky has made tennis history by becoming the first player to advance to all four Grand Slams in a calendar year as a lucky loser.
Polansky, from Thornhill, Ont., was selected as a lucky loser for the main draw of the U.S. Open on Friday after losing, 7-5, 1-6, 6-3, to American Donald Young in the final round of qualifying earlier.
Polansky was the third Canadian to advance to the main draws on Friday after Montreal teen Felix Auger-Aliassime and Eugenie Bouchard of Westmount, Que., won their final qualifying matches.
They’ll join fellow Canadians Milos Raonic, Denis Shapovalov and Vasek Pospisil when the tournament begins on Monday. Shapovalov will face AugerAliassime, his friend, in a matchup of rising Canadian teen stars.
Polansky had a 50 per cent chance to get a lucky loser spot after Pablo Cuevas and Jared Donaldson withdrew.
Raonic was scheduled to play Donaldson, meaning he will now face a qualifier.
Bouchard became the lone Canadian woman to advance to the main draw with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Jamie Loeb.
Auger-Aliassime, 18, beat Gerald Melzer of Austria, 6-3, 6-0, to book a ticket to the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.
Bouchard dropped just seven games over three qualifying matches to clinch a sixth consecutive main draw appearance at the final Grand Slam of the season. She was in control early against her American opponent on Friday, converting three of her four break point opportunities while scoring 31 points to Loeb’s 18.
Bouchard broke Loeb twice more in the second set while not facing any break points herself to complete the comfortable victory.