Zvonareva, Schnyder qualify for US Open

Mothers-turned-comeback queens Vera Zvonareva and Patty Schnyder won their final-round qualifying matches to take their place in the main draw of the US Open.

They were not the only notable winners on Friday at Flushing Meadows.

Former world No.5s Eugenie Bouchard and Tommy Robredo also confirmed their places in the 128-player fields, as did former British No.1 Heather Watson, local Donald Young, young gun Felix Auger-Aliassime and former top-20 player Marcel Granollers.

Zvonareva, a US Open finalist in 2010 and a world No.2 that same year, progressed with a 6-2 4-6 7-5 victory over China’s Zhu Lin.

YOU GUYS footage of @verazvonareva qualifying for the @usopen . It was really hot and a long match but Vera pulled through with flashes of her old self! All the feels! Cc @DKTNNS pic.twitter.com/YSLa16UmFa

— Jose Gutierrez (@JoseGut19) August 24, 2018

The Russian trailed 5-2 40-0 in the final set and saved five match points to dig out an memorable win.

“I’ve been playing on the big stages before but now I had to go through the qualifying,” the 33-year-old told Tennis Atlantic. “I was happy to come back here again and I thought, well, I’ll give it another try.

“Of course I’m very happy to be in the main draw now.”

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Zvonerva, who faces Anna Blinkova in the first round of the main draw, has now qualified for two straight majors after doing the same at Wimbledon.

I really like this perspective. Yes, you have kids but work is still work. Kids don’t magically make losses or failures any less bad. https://t.co/qBiLkxqKhS

— Blair Henley (@BlairHenley) August 24, 2018

So too has Bouchard, who trounced American Jamie Loeb 6-0 6-3 to reach the main draw, where she will take on French wildcard Harmony Tan.

Beginning with her successful stint on Wimbledon’s lawns, the Canadian has built a win-loss record of 12-5 and shaved her ranking down from 188th to 123rd.

Schnyder, meanwhile, will face Maria Sharapova in an intriguing first-round clash after brushing aside Jessica Pegula 6-3 6-2.

The Swiss, a former world No.7, will turn 40 this year and has a three-year-old daughter.

39-year-old Patty Schnyder qualified for the US Open, and will compete in the main draw of a Grand Slam event for the first time since the 2011 French Open.

— David Waldstein (@DavidWaldstein) August 24, 2018

39 year old Patty Schnyder defeats Jessica Pegula to reach her first US Open main draw since 2010. Reached the QF 20 years ago in 1998 and again in 10 years ago in 2008. Same again in 2018? ???????????????????? Brilliant effort!

— Chris Goldsmith (@TheTennisTalker) August 24, 2018

In the men’s event, Robredo beat fellow 36-year-old Nicolas Mahut in three sets to take his place in the main draw for the first time in three years.

Flushing Meadows is a happy hunting ground for the Spaniard, who reached the quarterfinals in 2013 and the fourth round another eight times – the first all the way back in 2001.

His 6-3 2-6 6-3 victory over the Frenchman sets up an exciting first-round clash with Greek young gun Stefanos Tsitsipas, the No.15 seed.

The main draw hasn't even started and we already have this moment…@NMahut's son consoles his father after his qualies loss to @TRobredo. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/k62RtSYkbw

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 24, 2018

In other results, Auger-Aliassime’s 6-3 6-0 thrashing of Gerald Melzer set up a highly-anticipated clash with good friend and countryman Denis Shapovalov, the No.28 seed.

Granollers beat Serb Nikola Milojevic 6-0 7-6(5) while Young beat Canada’s Peter Polansky 7-5 1-6 6-3.

Polansky, incredibly, was promoted to the main draw as a lucky loser for the fourth straight major tournament of 2018, the first time in history a player has completed a “calendar Grand Slam” of lucky loser entries.

LL-SLAM COMPLETE ?????PEACE OUT pic.twitter.com/dcbRSclLDv

— Peter Polansky (@PPolansky) August 24, 2018