British pair Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski spurned three championship points as they lost the US Open men’s doubles final in heartbreaking fashion 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 to Spain’s Marcel Granollers and Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos.
Sixth-seeds Salisbury and Skupski were bidding to become the second all-British pair to triumph at a major this year after Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool’s win at Wimbledon, and the first since 1903 to do so in the US Open men’s doubles.
Having lost the first set 6-3, fifth-seeded Granollers and Zeballos then levelled the contest by taking a second-set tie-break 7-4.
In another tight deciding set, Salisbury and Skupski went 40-0 up on Zeballos’ serve when leading 5-4 to set up three championship points – but they could not seize the golden opportunity.
In Skupski’s next service game, the Brits then fell into a 0-40 hole, and though they saved two of the three break points, a stunning return winner from Granollers clinched the break – and he then held serve for the win.
Salisbury and Skupski, who only teamed up at the start of the season, had both featured in the final of the US Open men’s doubles before – but not on the same team.
Salisbury won three successive titles alongside American partner Rajeev Ram from 2021-23, including beating Skupski and Dutchman Wesley Koolhof.
The British duo reached the final of the French Open men’s doubles earlier this year, where they were also beaten by Granollers and Zeballos in the final.
Laurence Doherty and his brother Reginald were the last all-British pair to lift the men’s doubles title at Flushing Meadows 123 years ago.
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