The US Open Qualifying Tournament kicked off on Tuesday, and fans who ventured to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for a day of free tennis got to watch a number of matches featuring former main draw attractions and up-and-coming young Americans up close and personal.

In the biggest upset of the women’s side, No. 1 seed Shahar Peer of Israel – a former world No. 13 – was upset by unseeded Ksenia Pervak of Russia, 6-4, 7-6 (3). Pervak had similar success against Peer in their only other meeting. The 22-year-old lefty beat Peer in the first round of Wimbledon in 2011 and went as deep as the round of 16 in that tournament, her best result at a Grand Slam to date. Pervak has earned entry to the US Open main draw each of the past three years.  

On Court 17, American Robby Ginepri – another former Top 20 player – pulled out a 6-4, 7-6 victory over Giovanni Lapentti. Ginepri, who has played in every US Open main draw since 2001, making it as far as the semifinals in 2005, and is now one round closer to the main draw.

American Grace Min faced stiff competition on Court 11 in Frenchwoman Alize Lim, who wasn’t afraid to approach the net and take some pace off the power baseliner’s shots, using clay-court tactics to try to take Min out of her comfort zone. The 19-year old Min, a Georgia native and former US Open junior champion, hung on to win, 6-4, 6-4, to move one step closer to her first US Open main draw.

Min wasn’t the only American woman to move on to the second round with a victory Tuesday. Floridian Victoria Duval staged an upset of her own on court 13, taking out the women’s No. 4 seed Teliana Pereira of Brazil in a largely one-sided 6-1, 6-3 victory. And local player, 18-year-old Jamie Loeb of Ossining, N.Y., also notched a lopsided 6-1, 6-3 win over Veronica Cepede Royg.

The tallest player on tour, standing at 6-foot-10, Ivo Karlovic rolled over 18-year-old American Mackenzie McDonald, 6-3, 6-4, on Court 11. Karlovic, the No. 2 seed and a former Top 20 player, has played in every US Open main draw but one (2010) since 2003. 

But while McDonald went down, another American teenager moved on. After dropping the first set of his first round qualifying match against Farrukh Dustov, 16-year-old Jared Donaldson found his sea legs and pushed the 23-year-old Dustov of Uzbekistan to a third set, when he broke his serve twice in front of a packed crowd on Court 13. Donning a black bandana and neon green shirt, Donaldson took home the 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win in front of a home crowd.

American Donald Young, who posted his best Grand Slam performance at the 2011 US Open, when he advanced to the fourth round, defeated Matthew Barton of Australia, 7-5, 6-0, in the last match on Court 17.