PAUL JUBB is one win away from the US Open after beating Pedro Sousa 2-1 in the second round of qualifying.
Jubb, who was born in York, faced Sousa on Thursday, just one day after he beat Antoine Bellier 2-1 in the first qualification round.
Similar to his clash with Bellier, Jubb was beaten in the first set. At 3-3, his serve was broken and Sousa went on to take a 5-3 lead.
He maintained his two-point advantage to close out the set, winning 6-4. The second set though saw Jubb retaliate emphatically.
Taking a 2-1 lead after two serves, Jubb went on to break Sousa’s next two serves, while winning the round inbetween, to take a 5-1 lead.
On his serve in the seventh round of the set, the 22-year-old won to level the game at 1-1.
The third and final set was a tense affair, with each player performing well and maintaining that consistency throughout.
Sousa’s serve, however, was broken for the 11th point of the set, giving Jubb a 6-5 lead.
After a long-lasting final rally, one that went to match point twice and break point thrice, Jubb secured the point, winning 7-5 and winning the game 2-1, securing his second comeback victory in two days.
Jubb will take on Gijs Brouwer in the third and final round of qualifying on Friday (7pm) as he looks to advance to the first round of the US Open for the first time in his career.
The 22-year-old is yet to reach the first round of the Australian Open or the French Open, falling to defeat in the second round of qualification earlier this year for the latter tournament.
At Wimbledon, he has twice made it to the first round, in 2019 and 2022, but has been beaten in both games.
Earlier this year, he lost a tightly-fought contest to eventual finalist Nick Krygios at Wimbledon, losing 3-2 to the Australian.
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