Shick edges Tabur in straight sets in US Open qualifying

Braden Shick came through a tight straight-setter against Clement Tabur, 6-4 7-5, to reach the closing stage of US Open qualifying. The American's serve made the difference in a match of fine margins: he struck 11 aces to Tabur's four and coughed up just one double fault, matching the Frenchman's discipline while landing 55.8% of first serves and winning 70.8% of those points. Tabur was solid behind his own delivery, taking 68.4% on first serve and 60.0% on second, but he could not manufacture the extra pressure. For Shick, it was a hard-court win earned almost entirely on serve.