India’s doubles players made a strong start at the U.S. Open, with Davis Cupper N Sriram Balaji and Yuki Bhambri advancing to the men’s doubles second round with their respective partners.
Balaji, who has been in impressive form lately, and his Argentine partner Guido Andreozzi overcame a one-set deficit to defeat New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell and Mexico’s Miguel Reyes-Varela 5-7 6-1 7-6 (12-6) in a close contest that lasted two hours and 36 minutes. Balaji had also impressed at the French Open, where he and Reyes-Varela had stretched Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden in a gruelling contest on red clay. A good run at the U.S. Open before the Davis Cup tie against Sweden will be ideal preparation for Balaji, who will enter the rubber as the country’s main doubles player.
Bhambri, who has opted out of the tie, and his French partner Albano Olivetti also advanced with a 6-3 6-4 win over local wildcards Ryan Seggerman and Patrik Trhac. They will now take on the American-Dutch combination of Austin Krajicek and Jean-Julien Rojer in the second round.
Second seeds Bopanna and Ebden will open their campaign on Thursday (August 29, 2024). The experienced Indian duo will be aiming to make a deep run in the tournament, having reached the semifinals at the Australian Open earlier this year.
India’s doubles players will be hoping to continue their strong start at the U.S. Open and make a mark on the Grand Slam stage. With Balaji and Bhambri in good form, and Bopanna and Ebden always a threat, India has a chance to make a deep run in the men’s doubles competition.
