US Open: Yuki Bhambri reaches first-ever Grand Slam semi-final

New York, Sep 4 (IANS) India’s Yuki Bhambri reached his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal after he and his New Zealand partner Michael Venus secured a spot in the U.S. Open men’s doubles last four.

The Indo-Kiwi pair pulled off a notable upset against the 11th-seeded duo of Nikola Mektic and Rajeev Ram, clinching a hard-fought 6-3, 6-7(8), 6-3 victory in their quarterfinal showdown on Court 17 on Wednesday.

For 33-year-old Bhambri, this marks a significant milestone in his career. Once the junior world No. 1 and winner of the 2009 Australian Open boys’ title, he has now achieved his best-ever result at a senior Grand Slam. His journey, marked by persistent injuries and a transition from singles to doubles, has finally brought him to a major semifinal - a breakthrough moment.

The duo's success adds another chapter to India’s storied history in men’s doubles, following in the footsteps of legends like Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna.

In their quarterfinal clash, Bhambri and Venus struck early. A sharp return winner from Bhambri on Mektic’s serve gave them a 3-1 lead. Although Venus faced pressure in the next game, he held firm to consolidate the break. The first set was wrapped up with a confident volley winner from Bhambri off Ram’s return.

Momentum shifted in the second set as Bhambri dropped his serve early, allowing Mektic and Ram back into the contest. Despite levelling the set at 4-4, the Indo-Kiwi duo eventually lost it in a tight tiebreak, with Bhambri double-faulting on set point.

In the deciding set, Bhambri held firm under pressure, saving a crucial break point in the third game. Then, with Mektic serving at 4-3, the 11th seeds faltered. A double fault at deuce and a brilliant angled backhand from Bhambri earned the decisive break. Venus faced a stern test serving for the match, falling behind 0-40, but the pair saved five break points in total before closing it out when Ram’s return clipped the net.

Bhambri and Venus will now take on sixth-seeded Brits Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski for a place in the final, looking to extend their fairytale run.

Earlier, Bhambri and Venus had eliminated the fourth-seeded duo of Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in the pre-quarterfinals.

--IANS

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