Top-seeded Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah will play eighth seeds Marcel Granollers of Spain and Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos on Friday in the US Open doubles final.
Cabal and Farah advanced to their third Grand Slam championship title match by ending the run of British No. 15 seeds Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski 7-6(5), 7-6(8) in two hours on Friday at Flushing Meadows. The pair saved two set points at 5/6 and 7/8 in the second set tie-break.
Two months ago, the Colombians captured their first major crown at Wimbledon, rising to joint No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings. The Nitto ATP Finals qualifiers are now 44-13 on the 2019 season.
“We’re super happy to be here in the final of the US Open,” said Farah. “We had a great match today, a great battle against Jamie and Neal. We’re very grateful to be in one more final of a Slam.”
Cabal and Farah failed to convert match points at 5-4 in the second set, then at 7/6 in the second tie-break, prior to Murray and Skupski making a forehand error on their third match point. Murray partnered Brazil’s Bruno Soares to the 2016 US Open doubles title.
Earlier in the day, Granollers and Zeballos extended their winning streak to 10 matches to reach their first Grand Slam doubles championship final.
The Spanish/Argentine tandem earned a hard-fought 7-6(2), 7-6(5) victory over the all-German team of Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies, this year’s Roland Garros titlists, in one hour and 40 minutes. The duo won 84 per cent of their first service points and struck 39 winners.
“We’re in the final in a Grand Slam. That’s one of the things you always dream,” said Zeballos. “I don’t want to wake up.”
Eighth seed Granollers and Zeballos saved the lone break point of the first set with a forehand volley winner at 3-3, 30/40, prior to the pair breaking clear at 2/2 in the tie-break with five straight points. The 45-minute opener, featuring 34 winners, ended with consecutive groundstroke errors from No. 12 seeds Krawietz and Mies.
There were no opportunities to break en route to a tense second tie-break. Granollers and Zeballos won the first two points, but Krawietz and Mies responded to lead 5/3 only for errors to cost the German team. Granollers and Zeballos booked their place in the final with a forehand volley winner.
“It was a crazy match. It was so tight. The difference was only two or three points, so I’m really happy,” said Zeballos. “It was a really tense match. I’m going to enjoy this win today.”
Last month, Granollers and Zeballos captured their first crown on their team debut at the Coupe Rogers, an ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal. Granollers will now look to go one better than in 2014, when he finished runner-up at the US Open with Marc Lopez.
Prior to arriving at the US Open, Krawietz and Mies had lost eight of their 10 matches since becoming the first all-German team to clinch the Roland Garros crown (d. Chardy/Martin) in May. The team, who is bidding to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 10-17 November, is now 21-14 on the season – including the New York Open trophy.
Source: ATP World Tour
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