Harrison & GB’s Skupski into men’s doubles final

Great Britain’s Neal Skupski and his American partner Christian Harrison are through to the US Open men’s doubles final after beating top seeds Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara.

The Australian Open champions secured a 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 win in an hour and 23 minutes and are yet to drop a set at this year’s tournament.

Liverpool-born Skupski, 36, is hoping to claim his fifth Grand Slam title and third in the men’s doubles.

After success at Wimbledon in 2023 with Wesley Koolhof and in Australia earlier this year alongside Harrison, Skupski once again has a maiden triumph at Flushing Meadows in his sights.

He and fellow Briton Joe Salisbury missed three championship points when they lost last year’s final.

“We know these guys [Patten and Heliovaara] pretty well, we’ve played them a couple of times this year and they’ve got the better of us but we brought it today, we knew we had to and really looking forward to a final in New York,” Skupski said.

“We’re both very hungry. We’ve worked hard to get here.

“We had success at the start of the year at the Australian Open. We had a great time, we know what it feels like to win a Grand Slam and we’re going to leave it all out there on Saturday.”

A second major title in 2026 remains a possibility for Skupski and Harrison, something Briton Patten and Finland’s Heliovaara were also targeting, but the world number one pair must settle for ending the year with only the Wimbledon title to their names.

Germany’s Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz are also through to Saturday’s final after a 6-3 6-4 victory over three-time US Open men’s doubles champions Salisbury of Great Britain and Rajeev Ram of the United States.

The match proved to be the last of a hugely successful career for 42-year-old Ram, who retires having won six Grand Slam doubles titles – including three in succession in New York alongside Salisbury in 2021, 2022 and 2023, as well as two Olympic silver medals.