India’s Sriram Balaji, partnering with Argentina’s Guido Andreozzi, marked his US Open debut with a hard-fought victory in the first round of the men’s doubles. The duo battled past New Zealand’s Marcus Daniell and Balaji’s former Roland Garros partner, Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela, in a thrilling three-set encounter.

After dropping the first set 5-7, Balaji and Andreozzi roared back to take the second set 6-1. The final set was a nail-biter, with Balaji and Andreozzi serving for the match at 5-4, only to be pushed into a decisive tie-break. The tie-break saw intense exchanges, with Balaji and Andreozzi eventually converting their fifth match point to clinch the victory 7-6(12-10).

This win sets up a second-round clash against the winners of the match between 8th seeds Neal Skupski/Michael Venus and the French duo of Hugo Gaston/Albano Jacq.

Balaji’s impressive debut at the US Open, highlighted by his resilience under pressure, is a promising sign as he and Andreozzi look to advance further in the tournament.

Photos – Brad Penner/USTA