Montgomery returns to US Open main draw; rain pushes qualifying finale to Friday

American Robin Montgomery was one of four players to book her spot in the US Open women's singles main draw Thursday, while the remaining final-round qualifying matches were pushed to Friday because of rain.

Montgomery will compete in the main draw in New York for the third time in her career, following appearances in 2020 and 2023, after rallying past Canada's Carson Branstine 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.

The 21-year-old left-hander won the US Open girls' singles and doubles titles in 2021. Earlier this season, she captured her maiden title on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz at the Libéma Open while ranked No. 484 in the world. She became the lowest-ranked woman to win a tour-level title on grass and the fifth-lowest-ranked titlist in WTA history.

Also advancing to the main draw Thursday were No. 28 seed Lucrezia Stefanini, Polina Iatcenko and Gabriela Knutson.

Stefanini will make her US Open main-draw debut after defeating American teenager Julieta Pareja 6-4, 6-3. The Italian has previously played in the main draw at each of the other three Grand Slam tournaments, with her best result coming at the 2023 Australian Open, where she reached the second round.

Iatcenko, 22, and ranked No. 160 in the world, earned her first Grand Slam main-draw appearance with a 7-5, 6-1 win over No. 31 seed Andrea Lazaro Garcia.

Knutson also secured her first Grand Slam main-draw appearance at age 29, defeating Georgia's Ekaterine Gorgodze 6-4, 6-4.

Among those scheduled to contest the remaining final-round qualifying matches Friday are former world No. 4 Qinwen Zheng, former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu and 16-year-old Kristina Liutova.