Lily Miyazaki won her first main draw Grand Slam singles match on opening Monday at the US Open with a superb straight-sets victory against Margarita Betova.
On Saturday, Miyazaki emulated Emma Raducanu from two years ago in coming through the qualifiers, and the 27-year-old emerged victorious against Russian Betova 6-3 6-3.
The world No 199, whose only previous major appearance came when she lost in the Wimbledon first round in 2022 as a wild card, may be unlikely to emulate Raducanu’s fairy-tale title win, but she still secured a near £100,000 pay day and a high-profile second-round match against Olympic champion Belinda Bencic on Wednesday.
Miyazaki: I’m proud of myself
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Lily Miyazaki says she is ‘proud’ of herself after beating Margarita Betova to reach the second round of a Grand Slam for the first time
“I’m kind of lost for words right now. Coming into this tournament I didn’t expect to be at this stage, so I’m just really happy and proud of myself,” the 27-year-old Japanese-born Brit told Sky Sports.
“Qualifying definitely helped me because I got matches under my belt and I felt really comfortable with the conditions.
“Today I felt a bit nervous and didn’t feel like I was playing great but I think my experience from qualifying helped me.”
“The experience at Wimbledon was huge for me. In that match, the night before I was really, really nervous and I could hardly sleep. But last night I told myself this was just another match.”
Top shots from Miyazaki’s victory
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Check out Lily Miyazaki’s top shots in her victory
How Miyazaki made it through to the second round
Miyazaki took on the experienced Betova, who was playing under a protected ranking after coming back from having a child but had lost her last 15 matches.
Miyazaki, who moved to London aged 10 but only changed allegiance from Japan last year, overcame an early break and won six games in a row to take control.
With fellow Brit Jodie Burrage cheering her on, Miyazaki finished the job on her second match point to win in an hour and 20 minutes.
The win helps her rise to a career high of 153rd provisionally, and up to British No 4.
Being free and being relaxed is sometimes a lot easier said than done. There will still be nerves, there will still be her own expectations, her own dreams and desires. It’s not always easy to just be free. She will be the underdog in that situation but hopefully she can capitalise on that, but Belinda Bencic will be a different test although I’ll be excited to watch.
Tale of the Tape
Match analysis
Tim Henman and Martina Navratilova break down the performance of Miyazaki’s stunning first-round victory in the Sky Sports studio.
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Tim Henman and Martina Navratilova analyse the performance of Lily Miyazaki in her dominant victory over Margarita Betova
Can Miyazaki emulate Raducanu’s success?
Emma Raducanu famously won the US Open as a qualifier in 2021
“I mean, what Emma did was incredible,” said Miyazaki. “I’m not sure where I was. I think I was at a tournament. I don’t know, a 25K in Portugal or something.
“Obviously all the players were following her results, and it was incredible the way she played.
“I don’t know her too well, but I have hit with her a few times at the National Tennis Centre. Yeah, I think what she did inspired a lot of people.”
Who’s up next for Miyazaki?
Belinda Bencic is the reigning Olympic champion having won gold in Tokyo
Miyazaki will take on Olympic champion Bencic in the second round on Wednesday and the 15th seeded Swiss has been warned she’ll have to do her homework on the Brit.
“It’s going to be a tough match for sure,” said Miyazaki. “But I guess the good thing is I’ve seen her play plenty of times and she probably doesn’t know much about me.”
She added: “It’s actually funny, when I lived in Switzerland, I played her when I was about nine years old and she must have been about seven or eight.
“I remember even back then she was taking the ball so early. Half volleying, drive volleying, everything. Yeah, I expect a really tough match.”
The US Open on Sky Sports: How and where to watch
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Watch the US Open live and exclusive on Sky Sports from August 28 to September 10. All courts will be available to watch for the first time
The US Open is back Sky Sports with the promise to give fans live coverage of the Grand Slam like never before.
Sky welcomes tennis back to its channels this year with the US Open being one of the most prestigious Grand Slam tournaments, adding to the existing sports portfolio and reaffirming the broadcaster as the home of live sport in the UK & Ireland.
Sky Sports’ new mixed reality studio features multiple custom built LED screens, integrated light ‘sabres’, and an open canopy roof, making the space alive with colour and energy to reflect the vibrancy of the last Grand Slam of the year.
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From Novak Djokovic to Iga Swiatek – it is time to meet the US Open champion contenders!
With integrated AR capabilities, a versatile LED floor, and a ‘fourth wall’, the viewer will be transported to the Arthur Ashe Stadium in a 360-degree immersive environment. Our tennis experts will take the viewer into the eyes of the players for expert Hawkeye analysis and insight as the tournament progresses.
The technology involved allows us to add an entire new dimension and will bring customers closer to the action.
Highlights of matches will be available across Sky Sports TV and our social media platforms.
Video highlights will also be available of the Sky Sports website and app, where there will also be a daily live text commentary on the Sky Sports website and app, as well as live scores, reports, analysis and features. We ask the key questions ahead of this year’s tournament at Flushing Meadows…
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