Day-one grounds-pass holders have a local to cheer for at the U.S. Open today: Irina Falconi, who grew up playing on the public courts at Inwood Hill Park, makes her U.S. Open debut this evening on Court 11. (Her match is the last of the day on that court.) Ranked 385th, she was the only American woman to advance out of the qualifying round, and she’ll face No. 19 seed Flavia Pennetta. Nicknamed the “Crown Jewel” by Inwood Park regulars, Falconi left New York for Florida when she was 14, and became an All-American at Georgia Tech before turning pro this May. Still, said Falconi of her roots: “I always still consider myself a New Yorker.” [NYP, Straight Sets/NYT]