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US Open: Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram into doubles semi-finals

 Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury
Image: The Australian Open champions have maintained their form

Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram have a second successive Grand Slam doubles title in their sights after reaching the semi-finals of the US Open.

Londoner Salisbury and American Ram won their first title together at the Australian Open and have been in fine form again in New York.

They faced American duo Chris Eubanks and Mackenzie McDonald in the last eight and survived a close second set to win 6-2 7-6 (7-5).

A Salisbury double fault on break point in the eighth game left the third seeds in trouble and they trailed 5-2 but recovered to prevail on a tie-break.

"I'm just happy we got through in two sets. They started playing really well and we just managed to scrape through the tie-break," Salisbury said.

The duo move to a 14-4 record in the 2020 season and they will face either eighth seeds, Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic or Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen in the semi-finals.

Being based on different continents meant Salisbury and Ram did not practice together at all during the hiatus but that has not proved to be a problem.

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"We didn't play at all together until we got to New York a few weeks ago," Salisbury said.

"It's not too much of a big deal. We've been playing together for over a year and a half now so it didn't take too long to get back into things once we got back on court together."

The pair have now won nine straight matches at the majors across eight months, and will be looking to extend that to 11.

Salisbury, 28, is happy to be able to draw on their Melbourne experience, saying: "I think it definitely will help.

"This is only my third Grand Slam semi-final, so obviously it helps being in this situation before and getting through the semis and the final in Australia. It does seem a long time ago but it's great to keep the streak going."

The British pair of Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski also remain in the competition and are on the other side of the draw.

Murray and Skupski, who were finalists at the Western & Southern Open last week, reached the quarter-finals by defeating Brazil's Marcelo Demoliner and Dutchman Matwe Middelkoop 6-3 6-2.

They will take to court on Monday and Murray will be facing the man with whom he won the US Open title in 2016, Bruno Soares.

Soares and his partner Mate Pavic reached this point after a 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 victory over Jack Sock and Jackson Withrow.

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