"It's been long overdue" - Yuki Bhambri reacts after equalling career-best Grand Slam doubles result by reaching US Open 3R
After deciding to focus on doubles a couple of years ago, India's Yuki Bhambri has had a steady rise up the rankings, brekaing into the top 50 for the first time in June. On Friday, Bhambri equalled his career-best result in a Grand Slam men's doubles event by reaching the third round of the US Open with French partner Albano Olivetti.
To reach the last 16 at Flushing Meadows, Bhambri and Olivetti had to knock out the 15th seed Austin Krajicek and Jean-Julien Rojer, both former Grand Slam doubles winners. And they did it in style - coming from a set down first to equal the match at a set apiece and then from 3-5 down in the final set to win 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
The first and only time previously that the 32-year-old Indian had made the last 16 at a Slam in doubles was at the Australian Open a decade ago.
"I felt it's been long overdue to do well, to win a few more matches," Yuki Bhambri told Sportskeeda exclusively from New Yok after the second round win. "Especially this year, I've been playing consistently at a high level, beating a few good teams, so this is just the result of the work that we have put in this year.
"Hopefully, we can pull out a few more wins and keep going as deep as we can into the tournament."
"We just sort of locked in a bit and tried to make them play as much as we can" - Yuki Bhambri
Reflecting on the second round win, Yuki Bhambri felt his team was playing better as the match progressed and that it felt good to win a match from being down at such a critical juncture of the match.
"It was definitely a pretty close contest and we just felt we were getting better as the match went on," the world No 48 added. "We always were in control but we gave away a few bad points at the wrong time, both in the first set and third set, which sort of put us in a tough spot."
"We were thinking when we were down, we always knew we had a few chances in their service games, so I think at the 5-3 or 5-4 game, when they were serving, we just sort of locked in a bit and tried to make them play as much as we can, which helped us get the break back. From then on, I think it was pretty smooth sailing in the end. It was nice to win a match from being down and pulling out a win," Bhambri continued.
Yuki Bhambri and Olivetti's reward is a third round clash on Grandstand Court on Sunday against the top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.
"They are the current world No. 1 team so obviously it's going to be a tough outing but we are playing well so will give it our best shot," he signed off.