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.
This content is provided by Twitter, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Twitter cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Twitter cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Twitter cookies for this session only.
Enable Cookies
Allow Cookies Once
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.
This content is provided by Instagram, which may be using cookies and other technologies.
To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies.
You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Instagram cookies or to allow those cookies just once.
You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options.
Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Instagram cookies.
To view this content you can use the button below to allow Instagram cookies for this session only.
Enable Cookies
Allow Cookies Once
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.
Watch the climax to the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.