India's Yuki Bhambri ended as a semifinalist at the US Open men's doubles event with partner Michael Venus. He went down 7-6 (2) 6-7(5) 4-6 in a thrilling fight against the experienced sixth-seed British pair of Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury, but not before scripting history of his own.
The 33-year-old Delhi player became only the fourth Indian man in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam doubles semifinal, after Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, and Rohan Bopanna. The Indian-New Zealand duo had stitched together an impressive campaign at Flushing Meadows, toppling higher-seeded combinations en route to the last four.
Their run included victories over fourth seeds Germans Tim Putz/Kevin Krawietz, apart from knocking out 11th seeds Rajeev Ram and Nikola Mektic, underlining Bhambri's growing stature on the doubles circuit after injuries curtailed his singles ambitions.
"This has been a special week for me. To be playing at this level and in the semifinals of a Slam is a big moment," Bhambri said after the loss.
Bhambri's showing continues a strong season for Indian tennis, coming close on the heels of Bopanna's consistent success on the doubles tour.
For the Delhiite, who has endured multiple injury layoffs in the past decade, the semifinal finish represents a breakthrough and a potential turning point in the latter half of his career. With the result, Bhambri assured himself a significant boost in rankings and valuable momentum heading into the rest of the season.
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