Mixed doubles always leave room for upsets galore.
That fate struck Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and British partner Joe Salisbury on Friday as the top-seed mixed doubles team at the US Open went down in the first round with a 4-6, 7-6 (7), 10-8 defeat to Kazakhstan’s Anna Danilina and Finland’s Harri Heliovaara.
Though the top pairing managed to handily win the opening set, a tight second set took away their momentum and by the time the tiebreaks rolled around in the third, they were unable to hold on.
Danilina and Heliovaara only managed to win a single break point but came away with the upset anyway. They’ll now face off against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa and Belgium’s Joran Vliegen on Sep. 1.
The rest of the day also saw plenty of upsets, as the No. 2 seed pairing of New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Michael Venus were knocked out in straight sets to the United States’ Alycia Parks and Jackson Withrow.
However, despite the top-two seeds being upset, contingents of those teams will linger on as Dabrowski and Routliffe form the top pairing in women’s doubles. They’ll play their second-round match against Catherine Harrison and Alicja Rosolska on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET.
In a surprising turn of events at the US Open, the mixed doubles pairing of Gabriela Dabrowski and Joe Salisbury was upset in the first round of the tournament. The duo, who were seeded third in the competition, faced off against unseeded opponents and ultimately fell short in a hard-fought match.
Dabrowski, a Canadian tennis player known for her strong doubles play, and Salisbury, a British player with a powerful serve and solid net game, were considered strong contenders in the mixed doubles draw. However, their opponents came out swinging and managed to outplay them on the court.
The loss serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of tennis, especially in doubles competitions where teamwork and chemistry play a crucial role. Despite their individual talents, Dabrowski and Salisbury were unable to find their rhythm as a pair and were ultimately outmatched by their opponents.
While this early exit may be disappointing for Dabrowski and Salisbury, it is important to remember that tennis is a sport filled with highs and lows. Every match presents a new opportunity to learn and grow as players, and this setback will no doubt fuel their determination to come back stronger in future tournaments.
As the US Open continues to unfold, fans can expect more exciting matches and unexpected outcomes on the courts. The world of tennis is always full of surprises, and this latest upset is just another example of the thrilling drama that unfolds at Grand Slam events like the US Open.