Dani Mérida secured a commanding straight-sets victory over Márton Fucsovics at the US Open, winning 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the second round at Flushing Meadows, according to match reports from Diario AS and Superdeporte. The Spanish player, competing at a career-high ATP ranking of 39, controlled the match from the opening games to claim his first main-draw victory at the tournament.
Mérida Downs Fucsovics in Straight Sets at Flushing Meadows
A Breakthrough Summer on North American Hard Courts
The win marks another milestone in a breakthrough North American hard-court swing for the Madrid-born athlete. Earlier in the summer, Mérida captured the title at the Croatia Open in Umag by defeating Damir Džumhur, followed by a strong run to the quarterfinals at the National Bank Open in Canada and a third-round appearance at the Cincinnati Open where he fell to Taylor Fritz.
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Controlling the Pace from the Opening Serve
Against Fucsovics, Mérida immediately set the tone by breaking serve in the opening games to take a 2-0 lead. He maintained that advantage to capture the first set in 32 minutes. The second set proved more competitive after Fucsovics earned an early break, pulling the score level at 4-4. Mérida responded swiftly, breaking again to lead 5-4 before serving out the set at love.
Mental Growth Fuels the Rising Star
The third set offered little resistance for the surging Spaniard, who quickly built a 4-1 cushion and comfortably closed out the match. Reflecting on his mental growth and recent string of performances on tour, Mérida told Diario AS, “Mentalmente he mejorado mucho, sobre todo en creérmelo.”
Waiting for the Next Challenger
With the opening-round hurdle cleared, Mérida moves forward in the tournament draw. He awaits the winner of the match between Marin Čilić and Andrey Rublev to determine his second-round opponent.
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