US Open: Bhambri’s fairytale run concludes with semi-final heartbreak after hard-fought battle

NEW YORK: Yuki Bhambri’s memorable run at the US Open and his hope to write a storybook ending by lifting his maiden Grand Slam title ended in silent suffering. Bhambri, along with his partner, Michael Venus, bowed out in the semi-finals after battling their hearts out against Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski in the men’s doubles category.

The Louis Armstrong Stadium witnessed a nerve-wracking marathon battle; Bhambri and Venus were ousted 7-6 (2), 6-7 (5), 4-6 in a contest that lasted 2 hours and 53 minutes. Bhambri was on the verge of becoming the first Indian to win a title at Flushing Meadows since Sania Mirza and Leander Paes in 2015; however, he marginally fell short at the end.

The Indian and New Zealand pair faced a tenacious challenge against a high-ranked British pair. Despite the odds stacked against them, they inflicted early pressure on Joe and Neal, pushing them against the ropes with a hard-earned 7-6 win in the opening set. In the second set, they instantly broke Joe and Neal’s serve and raced to a 2-0 lead.

However, the British pair fought hard to restore parity at 3-3. Both sides remained inseparable at 6-6 just like the opening set, but this time Joe and Neal upped the ante to force the contest to the decider. Joe and Neal continued to ride high on the success they found in the second set and established a 2-0 lead in the third set.

Bhambri and Venus missed their mark, which allowed the British duo to keep their handy lead intact. Out of the two, the Indian appeared shaken after the failed heist in the second set. The unforced errors started creeping into his game. His impeccable and clinical forehand started going straight into the nets.

With the scoreline reading 4-5 in favour of Joe and Neal, the Indian and Kiwis duo needed to break their serve to keep the final hope alive. The British pair remained flawless in the decisive moment, and Bhambri sent it too long to surrender to a defeat. Statistically, Bhambri and Venus boasted better numbers but faltered in the decisive moments.

Despite the heartbreak, Bhambri will have a lot of positives to take from his memorable campaign. In the quarter-finals, Bhambri and Venus outplayed the 11th-seeded duo of Nikola Mektic and Rajeev Ram, winning 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in 2 hours and 37 minutes. (ANI)