Genie Bouchard cruises into 2nd round at U.S. Open

Peter Polansky's luck ran out at the U.S. Open, while Eugenie Bouchard is moving through to the second round.

In an evening draw, Canada's Bouchard downed Harmony Tan of France 6-3, 6-1.

Watch highlights of Bouchard's first-round win:

Match Wrap: Bouchard advances to 2nd round at U.S. Open

6 years ago

Duration 1:28

Canada's Eugenie Bouchard defeats Harmony Tan in straight sets 6-3, 6-1.

Bouchard, ranked 137th, only needed one hour seven minutes to topple her 396th-ranked opponent. Including qualifying, Bouchard has won four straight matches at Flushing Meadows, but this was only her first victory in the main draw since 2015.

The Westmount, Que., native, who is the only Canadian in women's singles in New York, will face 103rd-ranked Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic in the second round.

Polansky's luck runs out

Polansky made tennis history when he completed the "calendar lucky loser slam" last week after being selected for a spot in the U.S Open main draw despite losing his final qualifying match. But his good fortune came to an end when he was drawn to play his first match against fourth seed Alexander Zverev.

The German star downed the 119th-ranked Canadian 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 in a match that took just one hour 36 minutes.

Watch highlights of Polansky's 1st-round match:

Match Wrap: Polansky falls to Zverev at U.S. Open

6 years ago

Duration 1:21

Canadian Peter Polansky was eliminated in the first round of the U.S. Open by Alexander Zverev on Tuesday.

Despite the result, Polansky's appearance in the U.S. Open main draw capped a curiously remarkable run at this season's Grand Slams for the 30-year old from Thornhill, Ont.

Polansky lost in the third and final round of qualifying at all four majors, only to advance by lottery to fill a spot in the main draw vacated by a withdrawing player.

"I swear, every match I lose, like, guys think I've thrown the match," Polansky said. "Like, sold the match."

Polansky had a chance to take luck out of the equation last week when he won his first two matches in New York. At that point, players knew he had it wrapped up.

"They were like, 'Congrats, you're in,"' Polansky said. "No, not yet."

While becoming the first player to complete the "lucky loser slam" could be considered a dubious achievement, Polansky has approached it with a sense of humour.

"I'd like to try getting in directly, just win the qualifiers and get in on my own this time," Polansky said in an interview with The Canadian Press before qualification in New York. "But if I make the last round of qualies there's always that chance for a lucky loser.

"And I think it would also be super cool, actually, if I get in that way. It will be in the record books for a long time and I don't think anyone's going to beat that."

Polansky's ranking rose to a career-best 110 in June, not that far from the top 101 spots that qualify automatically for the U.S. Open. With some solid play later in the year, perhaps he can get there in time for Australia.

Then Polansky wouldn't even need luck.

"Yeah, that's the goal," he said. "I think with the summer I've had I've set myself up pretty well to achieve that. I think I need maybe one or two more good results and that should do it."