Good breeding helps Holt to doubles victor y

Brandon Holt was too young to remember his first trip to the U.S. Open, but the 17yearold had an unforgettable Labor Day in Flushing, winning his firstever match in the junior doubles tournament.

Still, mom maintains bragging rights.

Holt, a high school senior and the son of Tracy Austin — who became the youngest women’s Open champion as a 16yearold in 1979 — paired with Riley Smith to win their firstround match over Russians Alexey Aleschev and Denys Klok 64, 60 on Monday.

“To be able to win here, let alone play, is a dream come true,” said Holt, who credits his mother for improving mental aspects of his game. “She helps me a lot, keeps me focused. I look up to her and how hard she works. She’s pretty humble.”

Holt, who said he has been coming to the Open since he was a 1yearold, is planning to attend USC next season with Smith, whose father, Peter, is the Trojans coach.

As for having a mother who is a twotime U.S. Open champion, Holt said his family really is like most other tennis families:

“Except when my mother is signing autographs at big tournaments like these,” Holt said.

No. 2 seed Simona Halep nearly became the tournament’s latest highranking upset victim. Instead, she’s into her first Open quarterfinal.

Halep labored through cramping in her back and leg after dropping a firstset tiebreaker, but ultimately wore down Sabine Lisicki in a 67, 75, 62 triumph in a Round of 16 match at a packed Louis Armstrong Stadium. Lisicki was burdened with leg cramps in the final set as the Romanian rolled.

Halep posted the victory with Romanian Olympic gymnastic legend Nadia Comaneci on hand.

Halep will face Victoria Azarenka in the quarters.

Alexa Graham, 17, of Garden City, L.I., won her first junior match at the Open, defeating Ukranian Katarina Zavatska 75, 46, 63.

With friends, family and neighbors sitting courtside, Graham admitted to nerves playing in her initial junior Grand Slam event, but fed off the familiar faces in bouncing back after dropping the second set.

“I figured if I stayed tough and I kept my energy going, I had the crowd behind me,” Graham said. Once I forgot where I was and just started playing, I found my game.”