Britain’s Toby Samuel caused one of the standout upsets on the opening day of the US Open by decisively defeating Czech player Tomas Machac. Samuel, who earned his place through qualifying rounds to make his main draw debut at Flushing Meadows, overwhelmed the former top-20 player 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in a match that lasted just 90 minutes.
The 23-year-old from Winchester, now based in Bath, delivered powerful serves reaching up to 135mph, which firmly unsettled Machac. With this impressive win, Samuel is set to break into the world’s top 100 rankings once they are updated after the tournament concludes. Additionally, he secured £140,000, marking the most significant prize money of his career to date.
Machac, 25, who has faced injury setbacks this season causing his ranking to drop to 58, remains a formidable opponent, having reached the US Open fourth round in the past two years. However, he was unable to find answers against Samuel’s dominant play. The British player conceded only five points on his serve during the first two sets. Although Machac showed some resilience early in the third set by securing a break, Samuel quickly responded to quell any potential comeback.
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Reflecting on his performance, Samuel said, “I’m pretty tired, but otherwise I’m so happy to have got the job done there. I played a great match – I’m just so thankful for everyone who’s supported me to this moment, and hopefully I can just carry on this week.”
He added, “In the first two sets, I wasn’t missing any balls, and I was feeling amazing. Then at the start of the third, I knew he’d come out a little stronger. I had a little dip in the first two games, went a break down, but I got back and managed to close it out comfortably. So I’m very happy.”
Samuel also shared the boost he received from his college friends, saying, “I had a few of my college mates from Carolina come down here and support me, and they brought the energy. I was so grateful they were able to come down and give me the fight and energy needed to get the job done today.”
Samuel’s next challenge in the tournament will be against another Czech player, 18th seed Jiri Lehecka, in the second round. Looking ahead, he stated, “I’ll just try and do exactly what I did before today, prepare the same way. I think I’m probably not going to play that well in the next match. I have to be prepared to fight, and be a bit tougher, but I’m going to do everything I can to get ready.”