Duckworth gets US Open call-up

FALLEN stars Bernard Tomic and Thanasi Kokkinakis have been thrust into a spicy allAustralian first-round qualifying match at the US Open in New York.

Missing direct entry into the season’s final grand slam as they languish outside the world’s top 150, Tomic and Kokkinakis must win three sudden-death qualifiers to make the main draw.

But only one former Davis Cup star will survive the first hurdle following the release of the qualifying draw.

The tennis gods were much kinder to countryman James Duckworth, with the Sydneysider gaining a late entry to the main draw following the with- drawal of injured Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Tsonga, a three-times quarter-finalist, has not played since February and had knee surgery in April.

Duckworth joins Nick Kyrgios, Alex de Minaur, Matt Ebden, John Millman, Jordan Thompson and wildcard Jason Kubler in the men’s singles event. Exciting youngsters Marc Polmans, Max Purcell, Alex Bolt and journeyman John-Patrick Smith are all contesting qualifying this week along with Kokkinakis and Tomic.

Meanwhile, rising 20-yearold Lizette Cabrera has won an eight-strong playoff to secure Australia’s reciprocal wildcard into the women’s singles.

Cabrera joins seeds Ashleigh Barty and Daria Gavri- lova, former champion Samantha Stosur and Ajla Tomljanovic in the main draw.

Destanee Aiava, Jaimee Fourlis and Olivia Rogowska are hoping to qualify. The New York major starts on Monday.

And in North Carolina Australian world No.54 John Millman has blown a chance to make the second round of the Winston-Salem Open.

The 29-year-old Queenslander lost 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) to 76th-ranked Japanese Taro Daniel in their first-round match at the ATP 250 event.

Australian 15th seed Alex de Minaur, who had a bye in the opening round, will play Russian Daniil Medvedev in his opening match in the final lead-up tournament before next week’s US Open.