Fearnley leads four British second-round tests at the US Open

Jacob Fearnley, Harriet Dart, Katie Boulter and Toby Samuel are through to the US Open second round, where seeded opponents await across the British group.

Four British singles players are through to the second round of the US Open, but the draw has wasted no time in making their routes harder. Jacob Fearnley’s lucky-loser opportunity is now a meeting with Tomas Martin Etcheverry, Harriet Dart has drawn 25th seed Marie Bouzkova, Katie Boulter faces seventh seed Karolina Muchova and Toby Samuel takes on 18th seed Jiri Lehecka.

Fearnley earns the longest route through

Fearnley beat Martin Landaluce 4-6, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. The Spaniard led twice, but Fearnley kept the match alive by taking the fourth set 7-5 before pulling away in the decider. Etcheverry is next, giving Fearnley another substantial test after entering the main draw as a lucky loser.

Dart also recovered from a set down. Peyton Stearns took the opener 6-3, but Dart answered with 6-3, 6-2. Bouzkova, the 25th seed, now stands between Dart and the third round.

Seeded opponents await Boulter and Samuel

Boulter began with a win over Carol Young Suh Lee and now meets Muchova. Samuel came through qualifying before beating Tomas Machac 6-2, 6-3, 6-2; Lehecka is the next opponent. Those matches give the British contingent two direct tests against seeded players and two very different chances to extend the qualifying story.

Early exits have already altered the draw

Novak Djokovic’s first-round defeat was the tournament’s biggest early shock. Cameron Norrie also went out to Luca Van Assche, while Harry Wendelken’s first main-draw appearance ended against 21st seed Luciano Darderi, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Matteo Arnaldi was another seeded casualty, losing to James Duckworth 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (10-8). Grigor Dimitrov was beaten by Alexei Popyrin in four sets. The men’s draw has already lost recognisable names before the second-round schedule is complete.

The leading women have been more secure so far. Iga Swiatek beat Wang Xiyu 6-2, 6-3 and Aryna Sabalenka defeated Camila Osorio 6-2, 6-4. Naomi Osaka’s 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-3) win over Anastasia Zakharova was tighter, while Maya Joint overturned Liudmila Samsonova 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.

The matches to follow next

Arthur Fery’s meeting with 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti, Francesca Jones against Magda Linette and Jan Choinski against Botic van de Zandschulp are among the next British-interest matches on the schedule. Coco Gauff faces Zeynep Sonmez, Elena Rybakina plays Thea Frodin and Alexander Zverev starts against Lorenzo Sonego.