By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
Paolo Lorenzi of Italy took a slice of U.S. Open history at the 2019 U.S. Open by reaching the third round in men’s singles after being entered into the tournament as a “lucky loser.”
A lucky loser is a player who loses in the final round of the qualifying but still gains entry into the main draw when a player pulls out of the main draw and is entered into the field on a random draw among players who lose in the final round of qualifying.
On Friday, August 23, Lorenzi, ranked No. 135, lost in the final round of qualifying 6-4, 5-7, 7-6 (7-2) to Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic. However, when Kevin Anderson withdrew from the main draw of the event, Lorenzi was then placed in Anderson’s spot in the draw to face 16-year-old Zach Svajda of San Diego. Lorenzi, 21 years older than Svajda at age 37, came back from two sets to love down to win 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-2 in four hours, 20 minutes in advance into the second round. Lorenzi then had another epic encounter, defeating Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia 7-6 (11), 6-7 (2), 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-3 in four hours and 48 minutes, in one of the longest matches in U.S. Open history. The win advanced him into the third round to face Stan Wawrinka.
Lorenzi said he was playing in a local exhibition with fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini on the Saturday before the start of the event when he heard that he made it into the tournament. “it was a great day,” he said.
Of his lucky loser status he said, “Of course it’s a second chance because maybe this time in New York I will be the guy that lose two times. So, of course, I’m lucky.
Other lucky losers to reach the third round are Laurence Tieleman, also from Italy, in 1999, Flavio Cipolla of Spain in 2008, Fernando Verdasco of Spain in 2003 and Leonardo Mayer of Argentina in 2017.
