Al Bello/Getty Images
Stanford University standout Mallory Burdette earned a main-draw wild card into the 2012 US Open. This year, the USTA awarded one women’s singles main-draw wild card into the US Open to the American who earned the most WTA Tour Ranking points at two of three USTA Pro Circuit hard-court events—$50,000 events in Yakima, Wash., and Lexington, Ky., and a $100,000 event in Vancouver. Burdette, the 2012 NCAA Doubles champion and NCAA Singles finalist, took advantage of the wild card and advanced to the third round of the year's final Grand Slam, posting straight-set wins in her first two matches against Timea Bacsinazky and Lucie Hradecka, before falling to Maria Sharapova, 6-1, 6-1.