Dane Sweeny’s remarkable run at the US Open ended in the third round as the Australian wildcard was beaten 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 by Italy’s 21st seed Luciano Darderi.
The 25-year-old from the Sunshine Coast had arrived in New York without a win in a grand slam main draw before this year’s Australian Open. His progress to the last 32 represented the best result of his career.
Sweeny had stunned 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti in the previous round, recording his first victory over a top-50 opponent. That success secured more than $400,000 in prize money and ensured he will rise from 123rd in the world to a career-high position of about 109th when the tournament concludes.
Darderi, however, proved too powerful and consistent over two hours and 13 minutes on Court 5. The Italian repeatedly applied pressure to Sweeny’s serve and took advantage of the Australian’s aggressive but high-risk style.
Sweeny made a difficult start, surrendering serve in the third game after a missed volley and a double fault. He survived an opportunity to fall two breaks behind and began to unsettle Darderi, but the 21st seed held firm to take the opening set.
The Australian immediately found himself in trouble again in the second set, conceding serve after a run of errors. He responded by breaking back, producing a superb chase-down and angled backhand winner, while Darderi became involved in an animated exchange with the chair umpire after receiving an audible obscenity warning.
Sweeny continued to threaten, but Darderi held his nerve in the crucial points. A 33-shot rally ended with the Italian firing an inside-out forehand beyond Sweeny’s defence, and further pressure on serve allowed Darderi to establish a two-set lead.
There was no shortage of fight from Sweeny in the third. He earned an early break point and threw himself into a volley exchange, later recovering another break after Darderi sent a backhand long. But the Australian struggled to protect his own service games and was broken again when Darderi produced a superb backhand lob.
Sweeny’s willingness to dive across the court and attack from difficult positions had carried him past Corentin Moutet and Musetti. Against Darderi, though, the errors accumulated and he won barely half the points behind his first serve, leaving him with too much ground to make up.
The defeat ends Sweeny’s campaign as the last Australian standing in the men’s singles draw, but his two victories in New York have transformed his immediate prospects. He now has roughly three months to break into the world’s top 100 and secure direct entry to next year’s Australian Open, although he would be expected to receive a wildcard if necessary.
