Watson and Dart set for all-British US Open qualifying shootout

Heather Watson and Harriet Dart will face each other for a US Open main-draw place, while Bianca Andreescu is also one win away from joining the field in New York.

Heather Watson and Harriet Dart will play each other for a place in the US Open main draw after both came through to the final round of qualifying in New York.

It gives British tennis a guaranteed woman in the main draw, but it also gives the match a slightly awkward edge: one familiar name will leave Flushing Meadows one win short. Six British players are still alive in qualifying, so the final round has become the first properly tense British checkpoint of the week.

Watson and Dart meet for a main-draw spot

Sky Sports reported that six British players have reached the final qualifying round, with Watson and Dart drawn directly against each other for one of the available main-draw places.

For Watson, the match is another chance to lean on years of Grand Slam experience and extend a major career that has already brought plenty of stubborn qualifying weeks. Dart has been here often enough, too, and she has the kind of game that can look uncomfortable across the net when she settles early. An all-British qualifier is rarely neat. It is good news for the flag count, brutal news for whoever loses it.

Andreescu keeps her New York route open

Bianca Andreescu is also one win from the main draw. The 2019 US Open champion beat Ukraine's Veronika Podrez 6-0, 6-3 on Wednesday, breaking five times from 12 chances and keeping one of the more watchable qualifying stories moving.

There is always a bit of extra curiosity around Andreescu in New York because this is where everything once clicked so spectacularly. Qualifying is a very different stage from lifting the trophy, of course, but a former champion having to fight her way back through the draw is still worth tracking. Fellow Canadian Carson Branstine was also reported to have advanced, giving Canadian tennis more than one final-round thread to follow.

Wawrinka, Osaka and Fan Week stay in the picture

Stan Wawrinka's wildcard remains one of the more sentimental notes around the men's draw. The Swiss three-time Grand Slam champion has been handed a US Open place in what has been framed as one last Grand Slam appearance, so his first-round assignment will carry a little more weight than an ordinary wildcard line.

Away from the qualifying courts, Fan Week has kept the US Open feeling busy before the main draw lands. Naomi Osaka's return to the New York spotlight has drawn attention, not least for the sparkling outfit and “Billie Jean Bling” mascot, while Carlos Alcaraz has been part of the lighter pre-tournament conversation as well. It is show business, yes, but New York has always made room for that before the serious sorting begins.

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