Ku beats Sharma 6-4 6-3 to reach US Open qualifying semis

Yeon Woo Ku controlled a straight-sets win over Astra Sharma, 6-4 6-3, in the final qualifying round at the US Open. The Korean landed only 56.7 percent of her first serves and coughed up five double faults, but she was far steadier behind the ball she did put in play, winning 63.2 percent of first-serve points and 51.7 percent of her second. Sharma, by contrast, was undone on her second delivery, taking just 30 percent of those points despite a clean sheet of no double faults and a healthier 63.6 percent first-serve rate. Ku's three aces to one underlined the edge, and she moved a step closer to the main draw.