Ram/Salisbury Dig Deep For US Open Quarter-Final Triumph

Defending champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury overcame fierce resistance from Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski on Tuesday to complete a 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-4 quarter-final victory and maintain their push for back-to-back titles at the US Open in New York.

The top-seeded American-British pair let slip four match points at 5-4 in the second set as Nys and Zielinski rallied to clinch the second-set tie-break and force a decider on Louis Armstrong Stadium. Ram and Salisbury, who are chasing their third Grand Slam crown this fortnight at Flushing Meadows, responded by sealing a decisive break in the opening game of the third set, going on to wrap a two-hour, 34-minute triumph.

Ram and Salisbury, who have lifted ATP Masters 1000 trophies in Cincinnati and Monte Carlo this season, will next face 11th seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara or 2019 champions Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in New York.

unstoppable force meet immovable object pic.twitter.com/ZntPUCN2M6

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 6, 2022

Second seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski enjoyed a smoother passage to the semi-finals, easing past Marcelo Demoliner and Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-1 in just 63 minutes.

Koolhof and Skupski, who are currently No. 2 and No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Live Rankings, respectively, converted all four break point opportunities they created in a clinical quarter-final display. Dutchman Koolhof and Briton Skupski will now prepare for their maiden Grand Slam semi-final as a team, where their opponents will be third seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer.

Arevalo and Rojer, who won their maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros earlier this season, needed just 66 minutes to take down Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic 6-3, 6-4.

Dutchman Rojer and El Salvador’s Arevalo, who haven’t dropped a set all tournament, served exceptionally well Tuesday, only misfiring on eight first-serves, making 84% of their heavy first deliveries. The pair has captured three titles this season, including an 11-match winning streak when they triumphed at the ATP 250 events in Dallas, Texas and Delray Beach, Florida.

Jean-Julien Rojer (left) and Marcelo Arevalo in action Tuesday night at the US Open. Credit: Getty Images

The duo is No. 2 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings. Should they win the US Open, the pair will climb to the top spot and strengthen their hold on a spot at the eight-team Nitto ATP Finals.

13th seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah ousted 11th seeds Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara 7-6(5), 6-2 to earn a ticket to their second Grand Slam semi-final of this season (Wimbledon).

Cabal and Farah, who triumphed at the US Open in 2019, will now look to avenge their loss earlier this season in Monte Carlo to Ram and Salisbury, who won in a match tie-break to collect the title.

Should they claim their second title at the season’s final Slam, the Colombian duo would rise five spots to fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and boost their chances of being at the season finale in Milan, Italy.