In His 10th Trip To New York, Menendez Breaks Through

Very few players have been chasing a goal for as long as Adrian Menendez-Maceiras. He never surrendered and, on a sunny Wednesday morning, he received the prize of his life: his first Grand Slam main draw win. He made it at the US Open, defeating American wild card Patrick Kypson 6-4, 7-6(9), 6-1 after two hours and 31 minutes.

“It was in the works,” said the 31-year-old Spaniard. “Every player dreams of something like this.”

If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Even if it takes 10 times. At No. 148 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Menendez-Maceiras came to Flushing Meadows for the 10th time in his career. He had never advanced through the qualifying draw. But this time everything was different.

“Those opportunities haven’t been around very often in my career. I’ve played just three main draw matches at a Grand Slam and your chances of winning are minimal.”

The Spaniard had previously fallen twice in the first round of a Grand Slam. At Wimbledon in 2012 he fell to Michael Russell and at the Australian Open in 2013 to Jeremy Chardy. The third time was charm. A drama-filled match brought the biggest joy of his career. He needed to play over the course of two days due to persistent rain that postponed the conclusion of his opener.

“It has been harder than expected and the toughest match of the week in New York. I qualified on Friday and didn’t play again until Tuesday. Then, the match was suspended and it forces you to prepare once again. It has been really hard because I had a good chance and the nerves always arise.”

Menendez-Maceiras says he fought those demons to overcome the obstacle. “I struggled to sleep before the match. Once I knew how my opponent played, I calmed down. I couldn’t analyze him on video because he has not played many pro matches. I think he has a bright future ahead. He has a developed game, a great serve and we will hear things about him in the coming years.”

In the second round, the veteran will face 24th seed and 2009 champion Juan Martin del Potro. It will be their first meeting and the match he has been dreaming of his entire life, in search of his first Top 50 win.

“This is a prize,” says the Spaniard. “I prefer to play against him in the second round rather than in the opener. We came here with a goal that has been accomplished. Right now I have to enjoy it and try to fight.”