Ukrainian tennis player Yulia Starodubtseva has triumphed over British player Sonay Kartal in the final of the US Open 2024 qualifiers.
US Open 2024 Qualifiers - Final:
Starodubtseva vs. Kartal: 2-1 (2-6, 6-3, 6-3)
The match began evenly, but Kartal gained a strategic advantage by breaking Starodubtseva’s serve in the fourth game and closed the first set with another break in 38 minutes.
Starodubtseva came back strong in the second set. Both players aggressively attacked each other's serves, leading to five breaks in the first five games. The Ukrainian took the lead and broke Kartal’s serve again in the ninth game to force a decisive set.
In the third set, Starodubtseva quickly went up 2-0. Kartal responded and fought back, leading to a tense battle. Starodubtseva, despite a scare in the third game where she almost lost her serve, managed to regain control. She added two more points on her serve and secured another break in the eighth game. Ultimately, Starodubtseva held her nerve, closed out the match, and will compete in the main draw of the US Open for the first time in her career. A total of seven Ukrainian players will participate in the main draw.