India’s Yuki Bhambri and his partner Michael Venus of New Zealand have been knocked out of the US Open men’s doubles semifinals, ending their exciting run at the Grand Slam. The Indian player, competing in his first-ever US Open semifinal, and Venus fought hard but narrowly lost to British doubles stars Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski.
The match was intense and full of drama, with the British duo winning in three sets—7-6(7-2), 6-7(5-8), 4-6. Bhambri and Venus started strong, winning the first set in a close tiebreak. They took an early lead in the second set and looked set for an upset, but Salisbury and Skupski fought back. The second set also went to a tiebreak, which the Brits edged 7-6(5). In the deciding third set, Salisbury and Skupski took control with aggressive play at the net and eventually claimed the match 6-4.
This loss marks the end of India’s main challenge at this year’s US Open. Other Indian players also faced tough luck. Anirudh Chandrasekar and Vijay Sundar Prashanth were defeated by Fernando Romboli from Brazil and Australia’s John-Patrick Smith in straight sets. Veteran Rohan Bopanna and his partner Romain Arneodo of Monaco lost in the first round, as did Arjun Kadhe and his partner Diego Hidalgo of Ecuador.
The thrilling semifinal match was played at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Bhambri and Venus, especially in the first set, showed great resilience and teamwork. The early tiebreak victory gave them hopes, but Salisbury and Skupski’s experience and quick reactions at the net proved too tough to beat in the end.
Looking ahead, Salisbury and Skupski will compete in the US Open men’s doubles final against Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos. Granollers and Zeballos reached the final after a hard-fought victory over American duo Robert Cash and J.J. Tracy in three sets.
Fans around the world are now eager to see who will lift the prestigious US Open men’s doubles trophy this year. Stay tuned for more updates from the US Open!
