MINSK, 23 August (BelTA) – Four Belarusian representatives will do their best to battle through the qualifying stage of the season's final Grand Slam tournament, US Open, in New York, BelTA has learned.
In the singles qualifying opener Olga Govorstova, currently ranked 204 in the world, will take on Serbia's World No.153 Aleksandra Kunic, while Arina Sobolenko (World No.178) will face Japan's Mayo Hibi (197).
Ilya Ivashko, ranked 181, will open the men's singles qualifying against World No.134 Nicolas Kicker of Argentina. Egor Gerasimov will play France's No.140 Quentin Halys.
Wins in three qualifying games are needed to advance to the US Open 2016 main draw which kicks off on 29 August.
The prize money pot of this year's US Open is $46.3 million. Winners of the men's and women's singles tournaments will each earn $3.5 million, finalists - $1.75 million. Winners of the doubles will take $625,000 (per pair). This year's US Open will have the biggest prize money in the history of tennis competitions. The tournament at New York's Flushing Meadows will end on 11 September.
Last year Novak Djokovic of Serbia took the US Open men's singles title and Flavia Pennetta of Italy won the women's singles event. The winners of the men's doubles competition were the French duo of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut. The women's doubles tournament was won by Martina Hingis of Switzerland and India's Sania Mirza. The mixed doubles title went to Martina Hingis and India's Leander Paes.
