Evan King and Sriram Balaji (Pic credit: Star Sports)
NEW YORK CITY: India’s Sriram Balaji and American Evan King, playing together for the first time, looked like a seasoned pairing as they saved six match points and rallied from a set down to beat Dutch duo Sander Arends and David Pel 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (10) in just under three hours at the US Open. The Dutch combine appeared to be cruising, leading 4-2, 5-3 and then 6-4, with two chances to close out the match. Cheered on by a small smattering of spectators on an outside court, Balaji held his nerve and serve from 15-40 down in the 12th game of the decider, and then again in the match tie-break. “I’m very close to breaking top-50 and with this win I’m getting closer to my goal. In the ATP Live rankings they are up to 46 and 47. In another men’s doubles first-round match, alternates Niki Kalyanda Poonacha and Ecuador’s Gonzalo Escobar went down fighting to Austria’s Neil Oberleitner and Czech Petr Nouza 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 2-6.
So that was also a little important even though all that doesn’t matter when I’m on court,” Balaji said.
“Every match that I can play here is important now,” said Balaji, whose individual doubles ranking stands at No.54, one behind that of his partner. Balaji and King faced two match points in the second-set tie-break on a warm day at Flushing Meadows. But the Indo-American partnership refused to fold, turning the contest around. “When you play lower level tournaments the ranking doesn’t climb up so much, but this is a Grand Slam and my only opportunity left this year. If you make like quarters or semis here, you can go up really fast in the rankings.