Daniel Brands entered the second qualifying round of the US Open on Wednesday. Matthias Bachinger, Oscar Otte and Anna Zaja lost in their opening matches.
The world rankings-215th Brands, already number 51 in the world in August 2013, lived up to its role as favourite and defeated the Czech Vaclav Safranek (ATP No. 270) 6:4, 7:6 (7:3). After 74 minutes, the 31-year-old from Deggendorf turned his fourth match point on court 13.
The next opponent of the 2010 Wimbledon Round of 16 finalist, who only celebrated his comeback in March after a six-month break due to knee surgery, is Daniel Elahi Galan, also an unseeded Colombian. Brands was last in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament in Wimbledon in 2017, but failed in the first round in three sets against Frenchman Gael Monfils.
The world ranking 179th Matthias Bachinger had to accept a 6:7 (3:7), 3:6 against the French Calvin Hermery (ATP-No. 189) on Wednesday. After the Munich player had to give up his serve for the third time, he was trailing 3:5 in the second set – and shortly afterwards lost after a total of 1:27 hours.
Cologne-born Oscar Otte was on his way to success at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. But after a good start, the number 181 had to bow to Marc Polmans (Australia), who was ten positions higher in the ATP ranking, with 6:3, 4:6, 1:6. Otte was already in front in the second set with a break.
Anna Zaja is no longer there after her opening game. The world rankings-192nd from Sigmaringen missed a little surprise on Wednesday at 4:6, 5:7 in two hours against Lin Zhu from China (WTA-No. 117). The 27-year-old Zaja, who won the ITF tournament in Aschaffenburg in July, caught up 3-5 in the second set and could equal the score at 5-5, but then lost her serve at the worst possible moment.
On Tuesday Yannick Maden had already reached the second qualifying round for the men, but Mona Barthel, Antonia Lottner and Tamara Korpatsch did not make it through the opening round for the women – Sabine Lisicki, however.