A dramatic day at the US Open with two of the three Kiwis advancing in the doubles
Erin Routliffe and Marcus Daniell are left to fly the Kiwi flag in the doubles at Flushing Meadows after dramatic ends to two of the three doubles matches.
Routliffe and her 18-year-old Canadian partner Leylah Fernandez are through to the second round of the women’s doubles in New York. They have beaten American Christina McHale and Mexico’s Giuliana Olmos 6-4 6-2. It’s the first ever win for the 26-year-old Routliffe in her fourth Grand Slam appearance with the match taking an hour and eight minutes.
Routliffe and Fernandez will take on American wildcards Ashlyn Krueger and Robin Montgomery for a place in the third round on Sunday. The young Americans knocked out the 13th seeds.
Daniell and his Brazilian partner Marcelo Demoliner had just broken serve to lead 2-1 in the deciding third set against Britain’s Dan Evans and Lloyd Glasspool when Evans pulled out with a leg injury. The final score was 6-7 (4) 6-4 2-1 in 1 hour 37.
It doesn't get much tougher for Daniell and Demoliner on Sunday with a match against the third seeded French pair of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.
Daniell is also through to the second round of the mixed doubles with Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski. They have beaten fourth seeds Marcelo Melo and Luisa Stefani 7-5 6-7 (3) 11-9 in one hour 44.
By contrast Michael Venus has crashed out due to his partner German Tim Puetz suffering a side strain while serving to stay in the second set of their first-round match against Germany’s Dominik Koepfer and Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori.
The 12th seeds had looked in control for a set and a half. They took the first set 6-3 and were up an early break in the second set before Venus dropped serve at 3-2. Then at 5-6 30-15 Puetz suffered a left side strain while serving and after a medical time out, couldn’t continue. They had been on court for 1 hour 25.
Venus still has the mixed doubles with partner Angel Chan.
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