It was a good day to be a wild card from America. It wasn’t such a good day to be the top-seeded girl during the first day of the junior competition on Sunday at the US Open.
The Netherlands Arantxa Rus was upset by Russia’s Victoria Kamenskaya 6-4, 6-1 in the surprise of the day. Rus couldn’t end her Grand Slam year like she began it. In January, she beat Jessica Moore to win the Australian Open juniors to move from No. 35 to No. 2 in the ITF junior rankings. The loss now means that American Melanie Oudin, who plays Monday, is the highest seed left at No. 2.
Seven wild cards from America enjoyed wins Sunday and moved on to the second round.
US Open fans got a glimpse of the future as wild card Christian Harrison, a 14-year-old from New Braunfels, Texas who turned pro last year, drew one of the biggest crowds of the day. He took a set off Easter Bowl boys' 18s finalist Alex Llompart of Puerto Rico but eventually fell in three sets, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Three American boys who were issued wild cards won matches Sunday. Rhyne Williams eliminated Borut Puc 6-2, 6-4 while another wild card, Alex Domijan beat Kittipong Wachiramanowong of Thailand 7-6 (3), 6-4. The third American wild card to win was Jordan Cox; he beat Cristobal Saavedra-Corvalan of Chile 6-4, 7-6 (7).
American Chase Buchanan, who beat Llompart in the spring Easter Bowl 18s final, had not problem getting past Mikhail Biryukov of Russia, 6-4, 6-2.
Girls’ wild card Asia Muhammad, pulled out a nice 6-3, 6-1 win over No. 14 seed Johanna Konta of Austria. “It’s always tough getting through the first round,” said Muhammad, a 17-year-old from Las Vegas who also got a wild card into the main draw of the women’s tournament where she lost in the first round. “I think if I keep playing like this I can go pretty far.”
Equally as impressive as Muhammad’s win was that of fellow wild card Sloane Stephens, who recorded a 6-1, 6-1 win over Austria’s Janina Toljan. Fellow American Madison Brengle joined the pair in the second round with a 6-2, 6-2 win against No. 10 seeded Cindy Chala of France.
In the final junior match of the day Kristie Ahn became the seventh American wild card to win when she beat Milana Spremo of Serbia and Montenegro, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
