Routliffe, Dabrowski advance to round of 16 at US Open

Erin Routliffe and Gaby Dabrowski have advanced to the third round of women’s doubles at the US Open, defeating Wu Fang-hsien from Chinese Taipei and China’s Zhu Lin 6-3 3-6 6-3.

Routliffe and Dabrowski started this match the way they finished their previous one, by completely dominating and racing out to a 3-0 lead.

Although their opponents worked their way back into the set, the Kiwi/Canadian team grabbed it when they broke Wu at 3-4 and then Routliffe held her serve in the next game.

The next set was one where Routliffe was broken in the second game and it was a lead Zhu and Wu didn’t give up.

There were breaks of serve to each team early in the second set and Routliffe and Dabrowski looked to be in a perilous position when the latter needed to save five break points in the seventh game.

Somehow they managed to do it and it kept them in the match and soon after the critical moment of the game came.

At 15-30 and 3-4, Wu ran to her right, stretching for a low ball and in doing so she hurt her back.

After winning the next point and appearing to be in a lot of pain when serving, she asked for a medical time-out. 

Even though she made it back on court, she clearly wasn’t right and not only did she lose the next point, but Routliffe cleaned up in the next for the match.

“It was really long, really tough and a grind,” Routliffe said of the match.

“We did all the right things, I really don’t think we let up.

“I was trying a bit too big in the returns on the second set and I could have hit more first serves. 

“But they’re a really good team, they’re different and I’m happy that we got through it, so we get to play again.”

Although Wu was clearly injured when Routliffe was serving for the match, Routliffe said it wasn’t something she and Dabrowski focussed on.

“She’s an interesting player because she’ll miss balls, then make some amazing shots: Routliffe said. 

"When you’re injured, that’s how you play anyway. So we weren’t thinking she was hurting, we were just trying to do our stuff. 

“If you worry too much about your opponents you get off course and we were trying to stay together and aggressive and I was trying to hit first serves, to set Gaby up and serve it out.”

This victory means Routliffe and Dabrowski have won four of their last five matches, including last week’s tournament in Cleveland.

“I’m happy, we’ve won two tough matches [in New York],” Routliffe said. 

“We’re still a young team, so every time we get to go on court it’s a positive. 

“I really do believe that and we’re trying to build something for the future. We’ve started well and I hope we can keep going with the momentum we have.

“I feel good on these courts, I really like them, I always have.”

In the third round Routliffe and Dabrowski will play against the veteran Barbora Strycova and Marketa Vondrousova, who won the Wimbledon singles title this year.

If Routliffe and Dabrowski win, it would bring the curtain down on the career of the 37-year-old Strycova, who was a regular at the ASB Classic, as she has said this year’s US Open will be her final tournament.