Knutson downs Gorgodze 6-4 6-4 in US Open qualifying final

Gabriela Andrea Knutson booked her place in the US Open main draw with a controlled 6-4 6-4 win over Georgia's Ekaterine Gorgodze in the final round of qualifying. The margin came down to first-serve quality: Knutson landed 62.3 percent of her first deliveries and won 79.1 percent of those points, hitting three aces, while Gorgodze managed 62.5 percent behind her own first ball and never found a free point, finishing without an ace. Knutson's three double faults and 42.3 percent on second serve kept the sets close, but Gorgodze could not convert that opening. For Knutson, it meant a hard-earned spot in New York's main draw.