Purcell & Thompson down top seeds at US Open, reach SFs

Can Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson turn their North American success into a maiden major team title at the US Open?

The Aussies, who this season have won three trophies together on North American soil, ousted top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 7-6(4), 6-4 on Tuesday to reach the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows. Purcell and Thompson, seeded seventh, won 81 per cent of their first-serve points and fended off all five of the break points they faced, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Up next for Purcell and Thompson will be the lone American team remaining, Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow. The 13th seeds are into their first major semi-final after overcoming 11th seeds Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-4.

"We kind of felt like we had the momentum the whole time, even in those battle games we had late in the second," Withrow said. "Wes and Nikola, we know the guys very well. We played them in 's-Hertogenbosch earlier this year, it was six and six, close match. They're not going to go away easily."

Lammons and Withrow have claimed four team titles this season, including in Winston-Salem the week before the US Open.

Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz also advanced to the last four with a 6-7(11), 6-4, 6-1 win against Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni. The 10th seeds will next face fourth seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic or eighth seeds Neal Skupski and Michael Venus.

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