Sanchez advances in U.S. Open qualifying

Maria Sanchez, right, and Zoe Scandalis reached
the doubles final in last month's Sacramento
Challenger.

   Modesto product Maria Sanchez defeated Erika Sema of Japan 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 today in the first round of qualifying for the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
   Also, Julia Boserup, the runner-up to Olivia Rogowska in last month's Sacramento Challenger, lost to Tatjana Maria of Germany 6-7 (10), 6-3, 6-3. 
   Sanchez, a 24-year-old USC graduate whose residence is listed as Los Angeles, will meet 20th-seeded Yulia Putintseva, a 19-year-old Moscow native who plays for Kazakhstan, in the second round on Thursday.
   Players must win three qualifying matches to advance to the main draw.
   Putintseva, the girls singles runner-up to Russia's Daria Gavrilova in the 2010 U.S. Open, topped Montserrat Gonzalez of Paraguay 6-0, 4-6, 6-2.
   The 5-foot-4 (1.63-meter) Putintseva is ranked No. 129 in the world. Sanchez, 5-foot-10 (1.78 meters), is No. 303 after reaching a career-high No. 107 last year in July.
   Putintseva is 1-0 against Sanchez, winning 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of a $50,000 Challenger in  Indian Harbour Beach (Fla.) on clay in late April.
   This is Sanchez's third appearance at Flushing Meadows. She lost in the final round of qualifying in 2012 and, after receiving a wild card into the main draw last year, fell to veteran Daniela Hantuchova 7-5, 6-2 of Slovakia in the first round.