In her debut match at the US Open qualifiers, Despina Papamichail secured an impressive victory by defeating Jule Niemeier, ranked No.89 in the world, with a convincing score of 2-0 sets.
Despina Papamichail kicked off her US Open qualifying campaign on a strong note, triumphing over Jule Niemeier, positioned at No.4 on the board and No.89 globally, with a remarkable 6-3, 6-4 score.
Papamichail took control from the outset, establishing a commanding 3-0 lead in the opening set. Despite Niemeier's effort to narrow the gap to 3-2, the Greek champion secured a new break, extending her lead to 5-2 and ultimately clinching the set in the 9th game.
The second set saw Niemeier fighting to stay in the competition. Papamichail faced a challenging situation at 2-3, 0-40, but she impressively saved all three break points and levelled the score at 3-3.
Throughout the second set, Papamichail maintained her serve, and in the 9th game, she capitalized on a crucial break to take a 5-4 lead. Although she faced pressure, allowing 40-0 to become 40-40, Papamichail remained resolute. She earned her fourth match point and seized the opportunity to secure victory after 89 minutes of play.
This win propels Papamichail into the second qualifying round of the US Open, marking the second time she has achieved this milestone in her career, the first being in 2021.
Simultaneously, alongside Papamichail, Valentini Grammatikopoulou was also in action. Unfortunately, Grammatikopoulou couldn't overcome the challenge posed by Japanese player Haruka Kaji, experiencing a loss with a score of 6-3, 6-3.