China's Xu and American Melichar into US Open women's doubles final

WASHINGTON - China's Xu Yifan teamed up with American Nicole Melichar to edge past Asia Muhammad/Taylor Townsend of the United States in three sets to reach the women's doubles final at the US Open on Wednesday.

The third seeds were forced into a final-set tiebreak, where they saved a match point, before overcoming Muhammad and Townsend in a tremendous tussle 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9-7) and booked their ticket to the final.

Melichar said: "Before the match, I told my coach I was prepared for a 7-6 in the third set. Obviously I'm thrilled we won 7-6 in the third. You always wish that it's easier, but we fought our hearts out."

"Asia and Taylor played a great match," Melichar continued. "We've known each other for so many years, played against each other so many times."

Very little separated the two teams in the tilt, as each pair fired 46 winners on the day. Muhammad and Townsend broke serve six times, compared to five breaks for Xu and Melichar, but it was the Chinese-American team who used bold play to secure the decisive breaker.

"I'm so proud of Nicole and I, we've really worked very hard every day," said Xu, after the pair reached their second final in the last three weeks at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

They were runners-up at the Western & Southern Open, which took place at the same site in Flushing Meadows two weeks ago.

Xu and Melichar are now both one win away from the first Grand Slam women's doubles title for each of them. Xu was a women's doubles runner-up at Wimbledon in 2019, while Melichar was the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2018. Melichar does have a Grand Slam mixed doubles title, winning that event alongside Alexander Peya of Austria at that same 2018 Wimbledon.

The third seeds will face the unseeded pairing of Laura Siegemund of Germany and Vera Zvonareva of Russia in the final.