In cracking the top 100 for the first time in her career and competing exclusively on the WTA Tour, 2008 has been a year of career milestones for Julie Ditty.
Competing in the main draw of the US Open won’t be one of them.
Hampered by 69 unforced errors in her first round US Open qualifying match, Ditty squandered a 4-2 final set lead in falling 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (3) to Rika Fujiwara, of Japan. This is the first time this year that the 29 year old Ditty failed to compete in the main draw of a Grand Slam event.
Despite being seeded third in the qualifying draw, Ditty struggled from the start of the match against the No. 160 ranked Fujiwara. Mis-timing her shots and displaying poor footwork, Ditty only won two points in the first three games of the match. She then dropped her serve once more to lose the first set, 6-0, hitting just one winner to 21 unforced errors.
The normally calm Ditty began to display signs of frustration, whacking a ball against the back screen as she held serve in the beginning of the second set to win her first game of the match. Adopting a more aggressive approach, Ditty began to pull the diminutive Fujiwara out wide during the long baseline rallies and approach the net for put away volleys. A clean forehand volley winner by Ditty gave her a set point in the second set, and a forehand error by Fujiwara sent the match into a final set.
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The third set featured grueling baseline exchanges and wild swings in momentum. Ditty had game points in all but two of the games in the third set, yet failed to capitalize on multiple game point opportunities. Leading 4-2 in the final set, Ditty piled up several unforced errors to give Fujiwara a 5-4 lead.
Overwhelmed by the occasion, Fujiwara failed to serve out the match on two consecutive occasions as Ditty raised the level of her game to send the match into a deciding tiebreak. After winning the first point with a forehand winner, Ditty lost five consecutive points as stormed out to a 5-1 lead. Moments later, Fujiwara clinched the win on her third match point when Ditty hit a backhand long.
Ditty will stay in New York until the end of the week to find out whether or not she will receive a wild card into the main draw of the women’s doubles event at the US Open. She will then travel to Asia for a series of WTA Tour events, followed by the WTA Tour event in Quebec City.