Israel’s Guy Sasson and Dutch partner Niels Vink, the world’s top-ranked quad wheelchair doubles team, opened their US Open campaign in dominant fashion, cruising to a 6-0, 6-0 victory in just 43 minutes.
The top seeds controlled the match from start to finish, winning 83% of their returns compared with 53% for their opponents, while hitting 12 winners to just two and committing nine unforced errors to 15. Their serves reached 88 mph, averaging 79 mph.
“We played really good,” Vink said afterward. “I hope we continue like this.”
Sasson, Vink chase calendar-year Grand Slam
The victory keeps alive an extraordinary possibility for Sasson and Vink: completing a calendar-year Grand Slam by winning all four major doubles titles.
“It would be nice if we could do a calendar slam,” Vink said.
Sasson, however, is taking things one match at a time. “The first match is always tricky,” he said. “You feel the shots and feel the rhythm and get into the match. It is a good start. I am happy with our results.”
The pair next faces Argentina’s Gonzalo Enrique Lazarte and Chile’s Francisco Cayulef in the semifinals.
Sasson says he feels at home at US Open
Sasson, who has spoken frequently about the warm reception he receives from players on the tour, said he feels completely at home in the US Open locker room.
“The people are so nice, the players are so nice to us,” he said. “And it feels normal. They give us a feeling that we belong.”
Among those who regularly greet him is the father of American star Ben Shelton. “He is so nice and interested in how I perform,” Sasson said.
Vink, meanwhile, said he has experienced no hesitation or problems partnering with an Israeli.
“There have been no issues at all,” he said. “Guy is Guy, and he is from Israel. If he was from a different country, it would be the same.”
Sasson also expressed his appreciation for returning to New York and competing at the US Open.
“The people, the facility, the atmosphere and everything we get is amazing,” he said. “It’s a privilege for us to participate in such a big event.”
Lysov narrowly misses doubles upset
Israeli Sergei Lysov and Japan’s Takuya Miki came within a few points of pulling off an upset against the No. 2 seeds, Martin De la Puente of Spain and Ruben Spaargaren of the Netherlands.
After losing the opening set 6-1 in 29 minutes, Lysov and Miki fought back to win the second 6-4 and led 5-4 in the deciding 10-point tiebreaker before falling 10-6.
“We didn’t get off to a good start and made a lot of unforced errors,” Lysov said. “We fought back in the second set and felt stress in the tiebreaker.”
Lysov, 22, is competing in his second US Open and was pleased to have coach Ofri Lankri Shemesh alongside him after she was unable to travel to Queens last year because of family responsibilities related to the war with Iran.
“He is more confident and not afraid to play his game,” Lankri said of Lysov.
Lysov will now turn his attention to singles, where he faces Spaargaren again in the round of 16.