New York, USA, 8 September 2022 | Matt Trollope

Storm Sanders and Caroline Dolehide have powered into the semifinals of the US Open 2022 women’s doubles tournament.

The Aussie-American pairing upset reigning Roland Garros champions Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic 6-3 6-3 at Louis Armstrong Stadium today.

Sanders clinched match point with a scorching forehand return winner to move through to a second career major doubles semifinal, after reaching the same stage at Wimbledon 2021 – also with Dolehide.

She also becomes the second Australian into the women’s doubles semifinals in New York this year, after Ellen Perez – also teaming up with an American, in Nicole Melichar-Martinez – advanced a day earlier.

“Even though the score was 6-3 6-3, it was still a really tough match. They’re very high-quality players, they’re Grand Slam champions, and obviously Caroline’s playing really good tennis,” Sanders said.

“We played aggressively and we’re really good friends off the court, and we just tried to back ourselves today and play aggressive tennis. And I think when we play like that it’s really tough to beat us.

“So I’m just really glad that we could execute today.”

Frenchwomen Garcia and Mladenovic are a formidable combination, especially considering Garcia’s form had also seen her win through to the US Open singles semifinals this fortnight.

They stretched Sanders and Dolehide in a lengthy third game, but the Australian-American duo held serve, then broke Garcia and Mladenovic to open up a 3-1 lead.

Ahead 4-2, they were broken back, but immediately broke again before confidently serving out the set in 39 minutes.

Sanders and Dolehide fell behind a break in the second set but their energy and body language remained relentlessly positive.

They won five games in a row to completely turn the match around, and ended it with a flourish thanks to Sanders’ brilliance on return.

Unseeded American combination Caty McNally and Taylor Townsend await in the semifinals.

“We’re not new to this, we’ve playing together for over a year now. And our attitude is much more aggressive and our mentality is much more aggressive as well,” Dolehide said.

“We know each other so well, we play with each other so fluidly, and I trust her so much, and she trusts me.

“It’s a really good pair we have going on.”

Aussies in action – US Open

TODAY’S RESULTS
Women’s doubles, quarterfinals
[12] Storm Sanders (AUS)/Caroline Dolehide (USA) d [14] Caroline Garcia (FRA)/Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-3 6-3

COMING UP
Women’s doubles, semifinals
[10] Ellen Perez (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) v [3] Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)/Katerina Siniakova (CZE)
[12] Storm Sanders (AUS)/Caroline Dolehide (USA) v Caty McNally (USA)/Taylor Townsend (USA)

> VIEW: US Open 2022 women’s doubles draw

Mixed doubles, quarterfinals
[4] Storm Sanders (AUS)/John Peers (AUS) v Leylah Fernandez (CAN)/Jack Sock (USA)

> VIEW: US Open 2022 mixed doubles draw

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