British qualifier Toby Samuel achieved his first career Grand Slam victory at the US Open, while 29th seed Cameron Norrie was eliminated in the first round.
Key facts
- •Toby Samuel defeated Tomas Machac 6-2 6-3 6-2 to record his first-ever Grand Slam win.
- •Samuel earned $140,000 in prize money for his performance, the largest of his career.
- •Cameron Norrie committed 49 unforced errors in his four-set loss to Luca Van Assche.
- •Katie Boulter advanced to the second round after a 6-4 3-6 6-0 victory over Carol Young Suh Lee.
- •Jacob Fearnley's match against Martin Landaluce was suspended due to rain with Fearnley trailing 4-3.
British qualifier Toby Samuel defeated Tomas Machac in straight sets to earn his first-ever Grand Slam match win during his main-draw debut at the US Open. The 23-year-old Winchester native secured a 6-2 6-3 6-2 victory in just over 90 minutes. Meanwhile, fellow Briton Cameron Norrie suffered a first-round exit, falling to Frenchman Luca Van Assche in four sets.
By the numbers
Samuel's rise and US Open performance
Samuel, who reached the top 100 in the live ATP rankings, dominated his match against former world number 20 Machac. After trailing 2-0 in the third set, Samuel won six consecutive games to close out the match. He credited the 'fighting energy' of his former University of South Carolina teammates, who attended the match, for helping him secure the win. Samuel is now set to face Czech 18th seed Jiri Lehecka in the second round. This victory marks a significant career milestone for Samuel, who two years ago saw his ranking drop near 2,000th due to bone bruising in his right arm. Having previously made his Grand Slam debut at the French Open earlier this year, Samuel has now earned $140,000 in prize money, the largest payday of his career.
Norrie's defeat and tournament updates
Cameron Norrie, the 29th seed, was eliminated after a four-set loss to Luca Van Assche. Despite winning the first set in a tie-break, Norrie struggled to maintain momentum, committing 49 unforced errors compared to his opponent's 21. Norrie described the loss as 'super frustrating,' noting that he felt nervous throughout the match. This result marks his third consecutive first-round exit at a Grand Slam. Elsewhere at the tournament, Katie Boulter advanced to the second round by defeating American wildcard Carol Young Suh Lee. Additionally, play for British player Jacob Fearnley was suspended due to rain at approximately 9pm local time. Fearnley, a lucky loser, is currently trailing Spain's Martin Landaluce 4-3 in the first set and will resume his match on Monday.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by BBC Sport.
