Doubles Take, US Open Edition: Day 3

Presenting your daily look at the doubles action at the US Open.

It was a tale of two French teams yesterday, as the bottom half of the men’s doubles draw took a big hit.

Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, the No. 3 seeds were upset by Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop. What’s particularly surprising is it’s the third Slam in a row they haven’t made it past the third round and the second where they’ve been the favorites based on their form going in.

Their countrymen, Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin, further disrupted the draw by knocking out the No. 2-seeded team of Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo. On paper, it’s an upset, but Benneteau and Roger-Vasselin know how to navigate through a Grand Slam.

Here’s a few matches to look out for in Saturday's action:

Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (5) vs. Nick Kyrgios/Matt Reid

Here’s a surprising stat: Kyrgios is 2-1 against the Bryan brothers this year, as he and Jack Sock beat them in Madrid, and he partnered with Nenad Zimonjic to top the all-time greats in Indian Wells. His only loss against the Bryans in 2017 came with Reid as his partner in Miami. It was a tough out, though, as this point indicates.

The caliber of play—and entertainment—will be high in this one.

Lucie Safarova/Barbora Strycova (3) vs. Alla Kudryavtseva/Zheng Saisai

Though they’re not regular partners, Safarova and Strycova know each other’s nuances and are two of the best doubles players on the WTA Tour. Well, technically, Safarova is the best as she sits atop the rankings. This should be a good match for the Czechs to work through any kinks.

Lucie Hradecka/Marcin Matkowski (8) vs. Liezel Huber/Danny Thomas

Thomas, who won the Boys’ 18s National Championship to gain a wildcard into the men’s doubles draw, gets to play mixed doubles with one of the best women’s doubles players of the past 25 years. They’re facing a couple of veterans in Hradecka and Matkowski, but it should still be a positive learning experience for the 18-year-old.