Top seeds Granollers & Zeballos move into R3

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos overcame Matwe Middelkoop and Alexander Erler 6-3, 7-6(5) Saturday to advance to the third round at the US Open and continue their bid for a maiden Grand Slam title.

The pair has finished runner-up in three previous Grand Slam finals: the US Open in 2019 and Wimbledon in 2021 and 2023.

Granollers and Zeballos won 39 of 44 first-serve points to defeat their opponents in 1 hour, 42 minutes. The pair, ranked No. 1 in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, are bidding for their third title this season after claiming Masters 1000 titles in Rome and Montreal.

Granollers and Zeballos qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin earlier this week. This is the fifth consecutive year that the pair will compete in the event.

Granollers and Zeballos were knocked out in the third round in Flushing Meadows last year, falling to French team Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in a tight three-set match. Their best run in New York together came in 2019 when they finished runners-up, losing 6-4, 7-5 to Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in the final.

Granollers and Zeballos will face Yuki Bhambri and Albano Olivetti in the third round. Bhambri and Olivetti defeated 15th seeds Austin Krajicek and Jean-Julien Rojer 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the previous round.

Chasing a fourth consecutive US Open title, third seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury won a dramatic 24-point second-set tie-break as part of a 6-3, 7-6(11) win over Lloyd Glasspool and Rinky Hijikata.

Fifth seeds and Roland Garros finalists Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori defeated Andre Goransson and Sem Verbeek 6-3, 7-6(3).

Roland Garros and Cincinnati champions Mate Pavic and Marcelo Arevalo survived a tight 7-6(4), 6-7(3). 6-4 win over Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen.