Watson to face fellow Briton Dart for US Open spot

Heather Watson and Harriet Dart will go head-to-head for a place in the US Open main draw as six British players made it through to the third and final qualifying round in New York.

Watson kept alive her hopes of a first US Open singles main-draw appearance in five years by overcoming Spain's Angela Fita Boluda in a rollercoaster encounter lasting nearly three hours.

The 34-year-old was twice a break up in the third set and served for the match - only to be taken to a deciding 10-point tie-break.

However, she held her nerve to seal a 6-4 5-7 7-6 (10-5) win.

That set up a meeting with her frequent doubles partner Dart, who beat American 16-year-old Kristina Penickova 5-7 6-0 6-3.

I've not played much in general in the last year and I've had some niggles here and there," Watson told BBC Sport.

"It's been tough with the scheduling as well, there's not been many options - especially when you get old in tennis, you can't do these long-haul flights for a week and then come back.

"It means a lot and I'm very pleased to get through today."

Francesca Jones could also join British number one Katie Boulter in the women's main draw after beating German Mona Barthel 7-6 (7-3) 1-6 6-2 to set up a meeting with Taiwanese player Joanna Garland.

In the men's event, Jacob Fearnley, Toby Samuel and Harry Wendelken are all one win away from joining Cameron Norrie, Arthur Fery and Jan Choinski in the main draw, which begins on Sunday.

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Fearnley showed great resilience to battle to victory over Frenchman Luka Pavlovic, which set up a meeting with Austria's Jurij Rodionov.

The 25-year-old world number 100 recovered from a break of serve down to take the opening set, and held his nerve in the decider to clinch a 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 win.

Samuel, bidding to qualify for the US Open for the first time, produced a 4-6 6-4 6-1 victory against fellow Briton Billy Harris.

The 23-year-old, who made his slam debut at this year's French Open, will face Chile's former top-20 player Cristian Garin next.

Wendelken, who has never contested the main draw at an overseas major, saved a match point to come through a three-hour tussle with Switzerland's Remy Bertola.

The 24-year-old, ranked 196th, appeared on the brink of elimination at a set and 5-2 down but eventually clinched a 5-7 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 win. He will face Lithuania's Vilius Gaubas.

However, Katie Swan and Jack Pinnington Jones both missed out.

Swan fell to American Mary Stoiana 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-3, while Pinnington Jones lost 2-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 to Finland's Otto Virtanen.

Former semi-finalist Grigor Dimitrov will face Virtanen after the 35-year-old maintained his bid for a 15th US Open men's singles appearance with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 win over Kazakhstan's Timofey Skatov.

China's Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, contesting a Grand Slam qualifying event for the first time since 2022, beat France's Clara Burel won 6-1 7-5 to set up a match against Russian Elena Pridankina.

There was also victory for 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu, who will aim to secure a first US Open main draw appearance in two years against Slovenian Tamara Zidansek after defeating Ukraine's Veronika Podre 6-0 6-3.

Fery, meanwhile, continued his US Open preparations by reaching the quarter-finals at the Winston-Salem Open.

The fourth seed beat Dutch qualifier Mees Rottgering 6-3 6-3 to reach the last eight.

Fery is competing in only his second event since his stunning run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.

He will face American Aleksandar Kovacevic for a place in the semi-finals.

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