John Peers is enjoying his best US Open run in four years, progressing through to the men's doubles semifinals.
The 33-year-old Australian and Slovak Filip Polasek only needed 58 minutes to book their semifinal spot today, scoring a comprehensive 6-2 6-3 win against five-time major champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.
The No.8-seeded Peers and Polasek hit 10 aces and did not face a break point throughout their match. They hit 30 winners and finished with only five unforced errors to dominate their No.3-seeded opponents.
This is world No.25 Peers' best Grand Slam result since reaching the Australian Open final in 2019 and his best performance in New York since 2017.
There have been 31 Australians reach a US Open men's doubles semifinal in the Open era. Peers joins elite company however, becoming only the 10th to make three.
| US Open men's doubles - Australian semifinalists in Open era | |
| Ken Rosewall | 1969, 1970, 1973 |
| Fred Stolle | 1969, 1970, 1979, 1981 |
| Roy Emerson | 1969, 1970, 1979 |
| Rod Laver | 1969, 1970, 1973 |
| John Newcombe | 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1981 |
| Owen Davidson | 1972, 1973 |
| Tony Roche | 1974 |
| Syd Ball | 1974, 1977 |
| Ray Keldie | 1974 |
| Paul Kronk | 1976 |
| Cliff Letcher | 1976 |
| Ray Ruffels | 1976 |
| Allan Stone | 1976 |
| Chris Kachel | 1976 |
| Bob Carmichael | 1977 |
| Kim Warwick | 1977 |
| Mark Edmondson | 1978 |
| John Marks | 1978 |
| Paul McNamee | 1980 |
| Peter McNamara | 1980, 1981 |
| Pat Cash | 1983 |
| John Fitzgerald | 1983, 1984, 1989, 1991 |
| Mark Woodforde | 1989, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996 |
| Todd Woodbridge | 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2003 |
| Sandon Stolle | 1995, 1998, 2001 |
| Pat Rafter | 1996 |
| Mark Philippoussis | 1996 |
| Lleyton Hewitt | 2000 |
| Paul Hanley | 2006, 2007 |
| Ashley Fisher | 2006 |
| John Peers | 2015, 2017, 2021 |
Note: Bold = Title-winning runs
Max Purcell and Matthew Ebden almost joined Peers in the semifinals, but lost a heart-breaking quarterfinal to fourth seeds American Rajeev Ram and Brit Joe Salisbury today.
The Australian Open 2020 champions prevailed 7-6(7) 6-7(6) 7-6(10) in a two-hour and 58-minute battle that featured no breaks of serve.
Purcell and Ebden had four match points in the third-set tiebreak, which would have propelled them into their first US Open semifinal.
In the semifinals, Peers and Polasek will play Brit Jamie Murray and Brazilian Bruno Soares. The seventh seeds were the US Open champions in 2016.
Earlier today, Sam Stosur and China's Zhang Shuai advanced to the semifinals in the women's doubles competition.
> READ: Stosur reaches sixth US Open doubles semifinal
Aussies in action - US Open
TODAY'S RESULTS
Men's doubles, quarterfinals
[8] John Peers (AUS)/Filip Polasek (SVK) d [3] Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA)/Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 6-2 6-3
[4] Rajeev Ram (USA)/Joe Salisbury (GBR) d Max Purcell (AUS)/Matthew Ebden (AUS) 7-6(7) 6-7(6) 7-6(10)
Women's doubles, quarterfinals
[14] Sam Stosur (AUS)/Zhang Shuai (CHN) d [10] Storm Sanders (AUS)/Caroline Dolehide (USA) 6-2 6-3
Mixed doubles, quarterfinals
Giuliana Olmos (MEX)/Marcelo Arevalo (ESA) d [Alt] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Marcelo Demoliner (BRA) 3-6 6-3 [10-4]
Boys' singles, second round
[6] Victor Lilov (USA) d Philip Sekulic (AUS) 7-6(2) 4-6 6-2
COMING UP
Women's doubles, semifinals
[14] Sam Stosur (AUS)/Zhang Shuai (CHN) v TBC
Men's doubles, semifinals
[8] John Peers (AUS)/Filip Polasek (SVK) v [7] Jamie Murray (GBR)/Bruno Soares (BRA)
Mixed doubles, semifinals
[Alt] Dayana Yastremska (UKR)/Max Purcell (AUS) v Giuliana Olmos (MEX)/Marcelo Arevalo (ESA)
Quad wheelchair singles, quarterfinals
[1] Dylan Alcott (AUS) v Bryan Barten (USA)
Heath Davidson (AUS) v Andy Lapthorne (GBR)
Quad wheelchair doubles, semifinals
[2] Dylan Alcott (AUS)/Heath Davidson (AUS) v Bryan Barten (USA)/Koji Sugeno (JPN)