US Open: Glushko to face Wickmayer in 1st round

22-year-old Israeli, ranked 163rd in world, gets through three rounds of qualifying to make it to main draw.

By ALLON SINAI
Julia Glushko 311 (photo credit: (Israel Tennis Association))
Julia Glushko 311
(photo credit: (Israel Tennis Association))
Julia Glushko will face Yanina Wickmayer in the first round of the US Open after qualifying for the main draw of a Grand Slam event for the first time in her career in New York on Friday.
The 22-year-old Israeli, ranked No. 163 in the world, defeated 18-year-old Saisai Zheng (169) of China 6-3, 6-3 in the third and final round of the qualifiers in New York after requiring three sets to overcome her opponents in the first and second rounds.
Glushko has played some of the best tennis of her career this summer, reaching at least the semifinals in her last four ITF tournaments, winning the title in Lexington, Kentucky last month.
However, Wickmayer, ranked No. 28 in the world, will be an extremely tough obstacle for Glushko, even though the Belgian was knocked out in the opening round in three of her past five tournaments.
Shahar Pe’er, who has lost in the first round in her last four events, faces Spanish qualifier Lara Arruabarrena- Vecino (117) in her first round match in New York.
Dudi Sela, currently ranked No. 110 in the world, failed to receive direct acceptance to the main draw in Flushing Meadows and chose to forgo the qualifiers.
Sela reached the second round of the US Open in the past couple of years and will miss the tournament for the first time since 2005. Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich, who will take part in the doubles tournament in New York, lost 6-2, 6-1 to Pablo Andujar and Leonardo Mayer in the semifinals of the Winston-Salem Open on Friday.