Angus tennis ace Jonny O’Mara is taking the US Open by storm, having survived a tornado warning to reach the last 16 in New York.
O’Mara, 26, will face second seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in Monday’s third round, with his new playing partner Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi.
It’s been an eventful tournament for O’Mara – who has packed a James Craigen Arbroath kit in his case as a reminder of his hometown.
A freak torrential downpour at the start of September threatened to turn into a tornado.
That delayed the start of play at Flushing Meadows and confined O’Mara to his New York hotel room.
Think the @usopen might have to make some slight improvements to Louis Armstrong Stadium’s roof #Tornado pic.twitter.com/KlscX9Rj8e
— Solomon Rapoport (@SolomonRapoport) September 2, 2021
His mum Jane has been glued to the TV screen from her Letham Grange home as O’Mara and his doubles partner have made a huge impact.
But dad David can’t bear to watch him play live.
“It’s been an interesting time out here,” O’Mara told Courier Sport in an exclusive interview from New York.
“Our first game was put back because there was a big storm. The tornado warnings were out for Manhattan so it was a bit crazy!
“The wind kept up for our first round match but we got through and thankfully we’re now in the last 16.
“My girlfriend Lauren has been given special dispensation to come to New York with me.
“My parents are keeping tabs on me back home.
“Mum has been staying up to watch my games live but my dad is a bit of a ‘wetty’. He can’t bear to see me playing live.
“He finds the whole thing so stressful so has to watch to watch the replays on Amazon.
“My dad has always been like that.
“I got him a ticket for Wimbledon a few years ago and he spent the whole day in a restaurant. That was a waste of a ticket!
“He loves to see me doing well but would rather watch my game back than see it live.
“I’m feeling the love and support from a lot of people in Arbroath.
Pumped to get first round win👊🏼 Been a while 😅 Back on it tomorrow🙌🏼🍏 https://t.co/cNowg0S51n
— Jonny O'Mara (@Jonny_OMara) September 3, 2021
“I’ve had contact from my old tennis club, Arbroath FC tweeted and my pal James Craigen has been in touch.
“He was messaging me over the weekend, which was nice because he’d just missed a penalty for Arbroath.
“I’ve got a Craigen Arbroath kit in my bag. If I run out of laundry I’ll have it on.
“All of these messages make a massive difference to me. It’s giving me extra motivation to try and make an impact.”
O’Mara’s playing partner Qureshi is a former world number eight.
The Pakistan-born star has claimed 18 career titles and reached the US Open doubles final in 2010.
And O’Mara, an official ambassador for Tennis Scotland, added: “My partner has got so much experience. He’s 41 and is very secure with his shots.
“That gives me the confidence to give it a go in the last 16. They are second seeds but we have to believe in ourselves.”