For some, the qualifying draw of the United States Open is a launching pad. For others, it is a place to land, comfortably or not, after enjoying greater heights in tennis. For 16 men and 16 women, it was a gantlet to reach the main draw.
Kateryna Bondarenko, a quarterfinalist at the United States Open in 2009, worked her way back into the main draw of the tournament with three wins in qualifying, the last a 6-1, 6-1 romp on Friday afternoon over 123rd-ranked Nao Hibino.
Though she has beaten much higher-ranked players at the tournament in years past, Bondarenko said there were elements of qualifying that made it tougher than playing on the bigger stage.