Entering the US Open, Italy’s Stefano Travaglia had won 274 matches in his pro career.

None at the tour-level and none over Top 50 opposition, with just 12 coming on hard courts.

There is a first for everything. Travaglia’s fortunes changed in flash at one of the biggest stages in the game, streaking into the main draw last week with a trio of straight-set qualifying wins. Then, the breakthrough arrived. A gritty 6-4, 7-6(8), 3-6, 6-0 victory over 22nd-seed Fabio Fognini on Wednesday afternoon.

The Italian stunned his countryman in two hours and 27 minutes behind eight breaks from 18 chances, seizing the opportunity on a packed Court 11.

“Today was the best win of my career and the first win in a Grand Slam main draw,” Travaglia told ATPWorldTour.com. “It’s very good for me and I will try to enjoy this day. When I lost the third set, he played a little better and then I changed my play. I was a break up but I lost five games in a row. In the fourth set, I played better and was full power from there.”

Less than two months after making his tour-level debut at Wimbledon, the mere fact that Travaglia is competing at this stage is astonishing. A tennis player’s ability to maintain a firm grip on the racquet is one of the most integral factors to success. For Travaglia, that seemingly basic faculty was nearly stripped from him entirely.

For six years, Travaglia has been building towards this moment after suffering a career-threatening accident in 2011, when he fell down a flight of stairs. In an attempt to halt his fall, the right-hander reached out with his right arm, but crashed through a pane of glass.

The fall had disastrous results, as the glass sliced between his wrist and elbow. As a result, Travaglia suffered nerve and tendon damage, losing feeling in four fingers. For nine months, tennis was far from his mind as Travaglia sought to restore his life back to normal. That is, nine months of suffering through surgery and rehab.

But, as the 25 year old says, the struggle and sacrifice was all worth it. Now, with the help of the facilities at Fabio Gorietti’s academy in Foligno, Italy, he has soared from No. 483 in the Emirates ATP Rankings a year ago to a projected Top 130 position following the US Open.

“It is unbelievable because my career has been stopped a lot of times. To be here today and win this round means a lot of things. I tried to play my best tennis and we’ll see where I’ll arrive in the next round and in the next month. The past is the past I have to think about the future and the present.”

Travaglia, who owns a stunning haul of 18 Futures titles, believes his game is maturing rapidly in 2017 as he graduates to full-time status on the ATP Challenger Tour. His experience in lifting his maiden Challenger crown in Ostrava, Czech Republic, in May and subsequent run at Wimbledon as a qualifier, has not only provided a surge of confidence, but allowed him to gauge his place against world-class competition.

“It has helped me to stay in the court without pressure,” Travaglia added. “I am trying to make the best of my tennis without thinking about the other player. I just play my game and focus on my tennis. Maybe at Wimbledon I was thinking about the other player and the [Emirates ATP Rankings] points. Now, I am focused on me only and playing tennis.

“Ostrava gave me confidence too. It was on another surface, on clay, but tennis is tennis. Whether it’s clay or hard courts. It’s only good for my confidence. I believe more in myself and I will keep going.”

Travaglia will face Viktor Troicki in the second round on Thursday.

Denis Shapovalov’s star continues on its fast-rising trajectory with eighth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga his latest victim at the US Open. The #NextGenATP Canadian qualifier dismissed the Frenchman 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(3) to reach the third round on Wednesday.

After taking down big names Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro en route to the semi-finals on home turf at the Coupe Rogers early this month, Shapovalov transferred his red-hot hard-court form to Flushing Meadows. His victory over Tsonga came on the heels of his first-round defeat of fellow #NextGen ATP player Daniil Medvedev.

It completed a strong day for the #NextGenATP charge, with Borna Coric downing fellow 20 year old, No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev, to join Taylor Fritz and Andrey Rublev as Day 3 winners. Fritz took down Marcos Baghdatis and Rublev saw off Aljaz Bedene, both in straight sets.

“I think every win that I’ve been going through, it’s been securing anyone’s doubts or even my own doubts, whether or not I belong,” Shapovalov said. “I belong with these guys, playing these high-level tournaments. 

“So this win, it’s definitely another confidence boost. It shows that Montreal wasn’t a fluke week. To do it back-to-back, it’s not easy. I’ve had to go through qualifying, which is also stacked with super tough players.”

In the last match on Arthur Ashe Stadium on a packed Day 3 schedule, Tsonga struggled to find his range throughout against the free-swinging Canadian. Trailing two sets, he sent a wild smash well long before he sailed a forehand wide to surrender the break for 4-3.

Shapovalov’s first sign of nerves crept in when serving for the match at 5-4 as he quickly fell behind 0-40. Tsonga landed his first break of the match to level at 5-5 but his momentum swing was brief.
The Canadian brought up three match points with a backhand pass drawing the volley error from Tsonga and claimed it when the Frenchman sliced long. He will take on Brit Kyle Edmund for a place in the fourth round.

“I played unbelievable today, very high level,” Shapovalov said. “I don’t know why, but I just managed to stay loose and go for my shots the whole match, except a little bit at 5-3 or 5-4, serving for the third set. I got a little bit tight, stopped moving my feet on a couple shots, sailed some forehands.

“He did a good job to break me. He stayed mentally tough there. I mean, I just stayed calm and just waited for my next chance and took it.”

There is something magical about Lucas Pouille at the US Open. For the second straight year, the Frenchman claimed a five-set thriller in New York, battling to reach the third round on Wednesday.

Pouille refused to succumb to #NextGenATP home hope Jared Donaldson, prevailing 7-5, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4 after three hours and 27 minutes. It was a war of attrition in front of a packed crowd on Court 17, as Donaldson battled back from two sets down and looked to be in prime position to complete the comeback. But Pouille would hold his nerve in the decider, breaking for 5-4 and holding to love to close out the victory.

“The crowd was not really cheering for me, but it was an exciting match and very close,” said Pouille. “I just told myself that it’s a new match starting at two sets all. I put everything behind me and stayed focused on my serve and I took that opportunity on return.”

“There’s room for improvement, which is good,” Donaldson said. “Such a close match. But the fact that I come off the court and say I know there’s things I need to work on is a good thing because if I had nothing left to work on, then I’d be in trouble losing that match. It’s obviously disappointing, but there’s always tomorrow.”

Last year, Pouille stunned Rafael Nadal in a deciding tie-break in front of an electric atmosphere on Arthur Ashe Stadium, reaching the quarter-finals. The 23 year old will look to extend his strong run of form at Flushing Meadows when he faces qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin next.

Meanwhile, fifth seed Marin Cilic notched a comprehensive 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Florian Mayer. The 2014 champion prevailed after one hour and 40 minutes, launching 51 winners, including 18 aces. The Croatian is making his first appearance since finishing runner-up to Roger Federer at Wimbledon, having struggled with an adductor injury in recent weeks.

Cilic will next face 29th seed Diego Schwartzman, a 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 winner over former World No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic. The Argentine is into the third round in New York for the first time in four appearances.

In other action, 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta has not dropped a set en route to the third round, downing qualifier Cameron Norrie 6-2, 6-4, 6-3. Having defeated Evan King in the first round, Carreno Busta will face a third straight qualifier to open the tournament when he clashes against Nicolas Mahut on Friday. Mahut captured back-to-back five set wins over Marton Fucsovics and Albert Ramos-Vinolas, upsetting the 20th-seeded Spaniard 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 in three hours and 27 minutes.

The #NextGenATP bragging rights belong to Borna Coric after the Croat’s upset of No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev in the second round of the US Open on Wednesday. In the battle of the 20-year-old former junior rivals, Coric retained his unbeaten record against the German with a 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(1), 7-6(4) upset on Grandstand.

“Of course I needed it … I had a rough few months,” Coric said. “I was struggling with my neck injury. I was not really sure what it is. I didn’t play … So it does mean a lot definitely. It’s going to give me some extra confidence. But at the end of the day, it’s only a tennis match. [In a] day and a half I have another one. We will see.”

“I mean, it’s that NextGen thing the ATP is promoting, also what we are promoting,” Coric said. “I think it’s actually quite cool. I think it does help us, as well, to put us on the map.

“I don’t see it as a big rivalry. I think we all have our paths, our careers. We need to go in our way. I’m trying not to look at the other guys. Trying to look at myself, to improve my game, to improve my tennis.”

After dropping serve at 2-3 in the opening set, the Croat landed his first break of the match with Zverev serving to stay in the second set at 5-6. With the contest locked up at a set apiece, neither player would be broken again.

Staring down triple set point on serve at 5-6 in the fourth set, Coric remained composed to reel off five straight points and force the fourth-set tie-break. It left the German having converted just one of 11 break-point opportunities.

In the tie-break it was Zverev who looked the tighter of the pair. He threw his arms up in despair when Coric rifled a forehand pass for 5/2. The Croat brought up two match points with a huge serve drawing the smash and he took it when Zverev sailed one final forehand long.

It throws the bottom half of the draw even wider open with No.5 seed Marin Cilic, the highest remaining seed after just the second round. Coric will face South African 28th seed Kevin Anderson for a place in the fourth round. In a clash of former Top 10 opponents, Anderson handed Latvian Ernests Gulbis an unwanted 29th birthday present when he posted a 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 victory. 

It was a draw the fourth-seeded Zverev was all too aware of, an opportunity he was left to rue. His quest to progress beyond the fourth round at a Grand Slam for the first time continues.

“It’s upsetting because the draw is pretty open in the bottom part,” Zverev said. “I felt like I should have been favoured there. You know, I just played a very, very bad match, so it’s unfortunate. But that’s how it is.”

John Isner is through to his ninth straight US Open third round, with the big-serving American coasting past #NextGenATP South Korean Hyeon Chung on Wednesday. The No. 10 seed moved through with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 result to improve his unbeaten run in second-round matches at Flushing Meadows to 10-0.

Chung had arrived in New York City at a career-high No. 47 in the Emirates ATP Rankings but was no match for his opponent’s 30 aces. Isner is 14-3 since Wimbledon, with title runs in Newport and Atlanta as well as a semi-final finish at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. He will face 23rd seed Mischa Zverev after the German’s 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-7(3), 7-5 victory over Frenchman Benoit Paire. It was Zverev’s second straight five-set triumph, having beaten American Thai-Son Kwiatkowski in the opening round.

Isner’s compatriot Sam Querrey also advanced to the third round. The 17th seed easily accounted for Israel’s Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-1, 6-4. “Everything felt great today,” Querrey said. “I mean, Dudi is a tricky player. He’s got a fan club behind him. They’re loud, they’re cheering on their guy. “I felt like I did a good job of just putting pressure on him, staying in front, coming to the net, serving big. I feel like when I do that against anyone, I’m pretty tricky.”

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.”