Aussie Hon fire as fan-tastic US Open run continues

Creeson Downey and Darren Walton | August 28, 2025

Priscilla Hon has revealed a mysterious middle-aged match motivator as the secret behind her inspired run to a grand slam third round for the first time.

With a thunderous serving display, Hon stunned world No.20 Liudmila Samsonova 4-6 6-3 6-2 for the biggest win of her career to sweep into the last 32 of the US Open in New York.

Fittingly, the Australian qualifier finished off the Russian with her 17th and 18th aces of the match on a packed Court No.10 at Flushing Meadows.

As fellow Australian Jordan Thompson crashed out on day four, Hon gleefully signed autographs and posed for selfies after securing a career-high ranking on the cusp of the world’s top 100 and a monster minimum pay day of $US237,000 ($A364,000).

“Honestly, it’s been a roller-coaster of emotions,” Hon said.

“I’ve tried to keep a lid on it. Even after qualifying and winning my first round, I was like ‘this is good but I don’t feel too up’.

“I don’t know if that makes sense, but whenever I let myself feel a little bit too much, I almost don’t perform the next round.

“I want to be winning matches. I don’t want to just be qualifying.

“But I’m glad I get to enjoy it for a day. The emotions actually sunk in and hit me. There were a couple of tears when I was hugging.”

Samsonova was a Wimbledon quarter-finalist just last month, only stopped by eventual champion Iga Swiatek.

The 26-year-old wiped out Australia’s top two women’s players, Daria Kasatkina and Maya Joint, en route to the last eight at the All England  Club.

Other big scalps on Samsonova’s CV this year include four-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka, Wimbledon finalist Amanda Animisova, world No.4 Jessica Pegula and Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Belinda Bencic. 

But she couldn’t deny Hon on Wednesday night (Thursday AEST).

Afterwards, Hon paid tribute to a New York fan who has been a fixture at her matches over the past week.

The 27-year-old only identifies the fan as “Eric”, who repeatedly belted out “Keep believing, Pri” in between points.

“The guy started coming last year and so, yeah, I really like him being there,” Hon said.

“He follows me on Instagram. I give him tickets now and in my second round of qualies he was like, ‘I don’t think I can make it because I have some family issues’.

“And I’m like, ‘Please do whatever you can. I will do whatever to make this possible for you to come’.

“There’s these tense moments in the matches and he’ll yell something and it’ll make me smile and it keeps me calm and that’s how I play my best tennis.

“I get a bit anxious when he tells me he can’t come because what am I going to do?

“I’m not going to win. There’s no way.”

Hon next plays 16th-seeded Bencic for an improbable spot in the last 16. 

The Open is over, though, for Thompson, who could not match his charge to the fourth round last year and in 2020.

A frustrated Thompson received a code violation for racquet abuse in his 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-3 second-round loss to Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.

World No.8 Alex de Minaur, plus Alexei Popyrin up against top-seeded titleholder Jannik Sinner, Adam Walton, Tristan Schoolkate and Kasatakina will all bid to join Hon in the last 32 on Thursday (Friday AEST).