Maaya Rajeshwaran, Sushkova Fall in US Open Junior Doubles Semifinals

India’s Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi and her Ukrainian partner Antonina Sushkova bowed out of the US Open junior girls’ doubles after a spirited run to the semifinals, going down 6-7(2), 2-6 to American twins Annika and Kristina Penickova in New York.

The unseeded Indo-Ukrainian pair may have missed out on a place in the final, but their campaign stood out for the quality of opposition they overcame on the way to the last four. Their run included victories over two seeded combinations, underlining their ability to compete against some of the strongest teams in the junior draw.

Maaya and Sushkova began their giant-killing campaign by knocking out the fifth-seeded Czech pair of Jana Kovackova and Katerina Zajickova. They followed that with an even bigger upset in the quarterfinals, defeating the fourth-seeded Russian duo of Felitsata Dorofeeva-Rybas and Anna Pushkareva 6-4, 6-4.

Their semifinal challenge, however, proved tougher. The Penickova twins had reached the last four after defeating Jamaica’s Alyssa James and Ukraine’s Polina Skliar, the eighth seeds, 6-4, 6-4.

For Maaya, the doubles campaign was particularly significant after a frustrating singles exit. The 15th seed began her singles tournament with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 win over American Emery Combs before losing a marathon second-round battle against Russian qualifier Arina Malygina.

Maaya fought back after falling a set and a break behind in the decider and saved four match points, but eventually lost 3-6, 7-5, 5-7.

The semifinal defeat brings the Indian challenge at the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the season, to an end. Yet Maaya leaves New York with a notable milestone: this was her first Grand Slam junior doubles semifinal, giving the 15-year-old another encouraging sign of progress on the international stage.