Salisbury comes out on top in battle of Brits to claim second Grand Slam
JOe SALISBURY may have been operating deep in the slipstream of emma Raducanu for two weeks but he became the first British champion at the US Open last night. The 29-year-old from Putney took the bragging rights from Scot Jamie Murray as they faced off in the men’s doubles final, Salisbury claiming his second Grand Slam title alongside American partner Rajeev Ram. Together they completed an emphatic comeback by defeating Murray and Bruno Soares 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 to add to their Australian Open win of 2020. The victory places Salisbury as the fourth-ranked doubles player in the world, as well as giving him a bumper payday of £238,000 in prize money. ‘This is the first time I’ve played on Arthur Ashe Stadium and it’s a dream come true,’ he said, playing 12 hours after Raducanu had vacated it when making the women’s final. Salisbury was later trying to make the mixed doubles final as well, partnering another American in Desirae Krawczyk in the semi-finals. Although a late developer, the englishman has now established himself as GB’s top doubles practitioner.
he was especially sharp with his returns and around the net during a deciding set when they sprinted away in the match. The defeat denied Murray the chance of becoming Britain’s first player in the modern era to win eight Grand Slam titles. he and Soares could console themselves with the thought that their progress had come despite very little preparation for this event after the Brazilian needed his appendix removing in late July. Salisbury and Ram were both
broken from 3-3 in the first set to fall behind but immediately responded by winning the next four games. The decisive blow was landed when Murray was broken at the start of the decider. Getting used to being on the vast arena, which gradually filled up following the noon start, had been a factor in the slow beginning. ‘We didn’t play great in the first set,’ said Salisbury. ‘It was really tough with the sun and shade and we were struggling to see the ball but we didn’t panic and it became a lot easier after that.’ In last night’s first men’s semi-final Russia’s Daniil Medvedev was trying to see off the challenge of Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime to book his place in a second Grand Slam final. The winner would be meeting whoever emerged from the second match, a repeat of the Olympic semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Alex Zverev.