US Open Juniors: Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi, Ukrainian Partner Antonina Sushkova Fall In Semifinals

India’s Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi and her Ukrainian partner Antonina Sushkova’s impressive run at the US Open junior girls’ doubles came to an end with a 6-7(2), 2-6 semifinal loss to American twins Annika and Kristina Penickova here.

The unseeded Indo-Ukrainian combination, however, put together an impressive campaign, knocking out seeded opposition on their way to the last four.

Maaya and Sushkova began their giant-killing run by stunning the fifth-seeded Czech pair of Jana Kovackova and Katerina Zajickova, before producing another major upset against the fourth-seeded Russian duo of Felitsata Dorofeeva-Rybas and Anna Pushkareva, winning 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.

Their semifinal opponents, the Penickova twins, had reached the last four after beating the eighth-seeded Alyssa James of Jamaica and Polina Skliar of Ukraine 6-4, 6-4.

For Maaya, the doubles run provided a strong response after her singles campaign ended in the second round.

The 15th seed had opened her singles campaign with a comfortable 6-2, 6-2 win over American Emery Combs before going down fighting to Russian qualifier Arina Malygina 3-6, 7-5, 5-7 in a marathon second-round contest.

Maaya fought back from a set and a break down in the decider and saved four match points before narrowly missing out.

The semifinal defeat means the Indian challenge at the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the season, has now come to an end.

For Maaya, though, the run to the junior girls’ doubles semifinals marked her first appearance in a Grand Slam junior doubles' last four and capped a promising campaign in New York.