Hong beats Basilashvili in straight sets in US Open qualifying

Seong Chan Hong came through the US Open qualifying quarterfinals without dropping a set, closing out Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3 7-6 after a second set that needed a tiebreak. The serve numbers told the story: Hong landed 58.4 percent of his first deliveries and won 75.6 percent of those points, while Basilashvili found the box only 49.5 percent of the time and took just 64.4 percent behind his first ball. The Georgian's second serve was the bigger problem, winning only 41.3 percent of points and coughing up seven double faults to Hong's three. Hong's five aces helped him stay in front, and the win moved him a step closer to the main draw.