Americans Book Spots in Main Draw Through Qualifying
By: Brittany Stewart for BB&T Atlanta Open
It was a battle of Americans on Sunday, on Stadium Court for the final round of qualifying at the BB&T Atlanta Open. Tommy Paul took down Mitchell Krueger in three sets, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, to solidify his spot in the main draw of the tournament beginning Monday.
Krueger stormed to a quick lead in the first set, and his flat, first serve created problems for Paul. A determined Paul quickly responded in the second, and the opponents battled to six of the eight games reaching deuce at some point. Paul closed out the second set by forcing Krueger out wide off the court, allowing Krueger to net a backhand for a final set score of 6-2. A battle of serves from the start, Paul’s serve made the difference in the final set as he won 81-percent of first serve points. This gave him enough edge to stamp his ticket to the next round in a final set score of 6-3.
Rain interrupted play for about an hour during the afternoon. Other winners in Sunday’s qualifying matches included Tim Smyczek, Stefan Kozlov and Quentin Halys of France.