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James McGee (file) is now into the first round proper at Flushing Meadows. Donall Farmer/INPHO

Ireland's James McGee qualifies for US Open first round

It’s the first time the Dubliner has qualified for the main draw of a grand slam event.

JAMES MCGEE HAS qualified for the first round of the US Open, the first time the Dubliner has made the main draw of a grand slam event.

A win seemed unlikely when the Irish number one lost his opening set 6-0 to China’s Zhang Ze in just 25 minutes in the final qualifying round in New York this evening

However, the 27-old rallied to take the next two sets 6-4, 6-4 to secure a spot at Flushing Meadows, winning the tie on his fifth match point after just over two hours of play.

The world number 195 is now set to take home a minimum of $36,000 in prize money.

Ireland’s top tennis player is one win away from the US Open main draw

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    Mute Ted
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:15 PM

    Congrats well done

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    Mute fergusOB
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:42 PM

    Great effort well done

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    Mute jenni
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    Aug 23rd 2014, 12:07 AM

    Well done..go you

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    Mute Sheldon Sheridan
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    Aug 23rd 2014, 2:42 AM

    Are his wrist bands on the wrong way round?

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    Mute Stephen
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    Aug 23rd 2014, 3:35 AM

    I think his mothers from the Ivory Coast

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    Mute Ted Carroll
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    Aug 23rd 2014, 6:50 AM

    I’m no longer bothered by the Irish rail strike because there’s a new bandwagon for me to get on!!

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    Mute stephen kavanagh
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:16 PM

    Brilliant! Hope hes not drawn against Djokovic the way poor Connor Niland was a few years ago

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    Mute Colm Casey
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 11:26 PM

    I don’t know, I’d say he’d rather draw Djock and give him a good rattle on centre court, than get a relative unknown and potentially lose on an outside court. Either way, Muchos respect for getting this far!

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    Mute chalk8down
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:17 PM

    What a remarkable achievement in one of sports most notoriously difficult circuits. Here’s hoping sky can show live coverage of his match on the red button. I’d imagine this pay day in whichever round he exits, will make his life on the tennis circuit all the more tenable.

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    Mute Eugene Walsh
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:16 PM

    Well done man

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    Mute Glen Hoddle
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:15 PM

    Great news …

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    Mute john doe
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:22 PM

    Well done. To be honest I’ve never heard of him before, but he is in the top 200. That’s an achievement in itself. Good luck in the first round.

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    Mute Peter Mulligan
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:21 PM

    Well Done James, very best of Irish luck in the US Open

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    Mute Mairtin Cathbhar
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:19 PM

    All the best from cltc

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    Mute Conor Blacklock
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:36 PM

    Will this make qualifying for other events easier on him ?

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    Mute stephen kavanagh
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:41 PM

    Yeah he should be inside top 150 win or lose first round, and if he wins a round top 120. Unprecedented for an Irish player

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    Mute Damien Costello
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 11:30 PM

    hed have to reach the 4th round to break top 150 because hes 130 pts behind it and hes defending about 30 pts aswell. Great achievement though hope he can make a steady rise up the rankings and hopefully he gets a good draw for 1st round aswell. tennis seems to be improving gradually with mcgee sorensen and barry all doing well in the singles especially seeing how hard it is to break even when your not competing in grand slams

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    Mute Noel Holland
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:51 PM

    Excellent…! Amazing achievement considering how little profile and money is put into irish tennis..

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    Mute Conor Blacklock
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:35 PM

    Fair play !

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    Mute Declan O'Neill
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:52 PM

    Amazing comeback for not winning a single game in the first set, fair play to him. 0-6, 6-4, 6-4

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    Mute Eamon Brennan
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 10:54 PM

    Great character shown , great achievement. Genuinely delighted by this news

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    Mute Liam S O' Leary
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:44 PM

    Nice one, best of luck to him

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    Mute John Foskin
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 9:58 PM

    Well done

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    Mute doc samoflange
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 10:25 PM

    great stuff…well done! would be great if word gets out and the expats and diaspora come out in force for support over there

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    Mute David Clarke
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 10:09 PM

    Fair play to him just enjoy it now who knows cod go all the way how hard can it be

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    Mute Your big boi Tate
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 10:10 PM

    Yo, good to see your Irish boi representing whats his, the green land with lots of green dollar grass the mothofoin sexy white women with them big ass (you know what your boi tate tryna say just hiding it from them chidlren). i used to be a balla at tennis back in the states. Play it for days and the ladies be checkin me out and I would just wanna whip some sauce on there booties. It was good way to exercise while being able to keep put sauce on the ladies booties who would walk past. This was in Florida so kind of a diffrent culture if you know what im saying.
    Its hard for your boi tate to get girls in the emarld to do more of the wild thang and get into there groove. Tennis dont cut it if you wanna get into the wild sauce booty pouring nauthyness. Kinda miss that. But im still enjoing them white women you got here they fine as DAY!.

    Anyway good luck to your boi representing I hope his tennis helps him get them booties unlike me here haha.

    -As Always, Your Boi Tate

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    Mute Nichola Power
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 11:20 PM

    Excellent stuff,fair play :-)

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    Mute Micheál Seamus Xavier MhicAirtúir
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    Aug 22nd 2014, 10:49 PM

    Fair balls

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    Mute Raymond Geoghegan
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    Aug 23rd 2014, 12:17 AM

    Some come back

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    Mute Paul Geraghty
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    Aug 23rd 2014, 12:16 AM

    Now that’s good fair play man. Haven’t read the comments yet just the story. Anyone begrudging this is simply an ar..hole :)

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    Mute Noggy
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    Aug 23rd 2014, 7:28 AM

    Great news. Those of us who play or are involved in DLT know him and others for years have been getting closer and closer. Best of luck James and there will be others following in the future.

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    Mute Mick Dougan
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    Aug 23rd 2014, 10:11 AM

    Fair play to you James. Hopefully another Irish success story in the future. Take it one match at a time.

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    Mute Paul Geraghty
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    Aug 23rd 2014, 12:19 AM

    I’m the cynic all sayin fair play apart from the red thumb gombeens

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    Mute jackdts
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    Aug 23rd 2014, 1:46 AM

    God and me and jimmy Magee..

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