Australian pair earn shot at grand slam redemption in US Open men’s doubles final

Jordan Thompson is in line for a monstrous multi-million dollar payday after being handed a shot at a Grand Slam rescue in New York. Two months after suffering the heartbreak of the Wimbledon final, Thompson and his great Sydney mate Max Purcell are through to the decider for the US Open men’s doubles title at Flushing Meadows.

Thompson and Purcell defeated Americans Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) in the semifinals on Thursday to move within a tantalizing win of the title. The thrilling last-four victory comes after Thompson and Purcell knocked out top favorites Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the quarterfinals.

Winning a first Grand Slam trophy together would not only go some way to making up for failing to convert either of their two match points in a crushing final defeat to Briton Henry Patten and Finn Harri Heliovaara at the All England Club. It would also earn Thompson a life-changing cheque for $US700,000 ($A1.04m) for a magical fortnight in the Big Apple.

The 30-year-old is already guaranteed a $US325,000 ($A482,000) prize if he reaches the last 16 of the singles, where it took Australian Davis Cup team-mate and world number 10 Alex de Minaur to halt his breakout run. Thompson and Purcell will also share the $US750,000 ($A1.13 million) winner’s purse if they beat fourth seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic or Germany’s Kevin Krawletz and Tim Puetz in Saturday’s final in New York.

But money can’t buy you a Grand Slam title and Thompson is determined to get one.

“It’s unbelievable,” Thompson said. “My first full year in doubles and we’ve managed to get to a Wimbledon final and a US Open final and hopefully you can take it a step further here.

“It’s not really me. Just ask [Purcell] over his shoulders. I jumped on it and now it’s back-to-back finals.”

Purcell already has a Grand Slam trophy to his name. Two years ago, he won the doubles at Wimbledon with fellow countryman Matt Ebden, after which he teamed up with Thompson.

“That’s what makes it so special, because we’re such good friends and every time we win I just get so happy,” Purcell said. “To get that feeling that it’s not just about the performance, it’s about who you’re doing it with.

“I feel like we have a great camp and we are working really hard this year to make it a goal to win a grand slam, so to be one game away again is always really special.”

Reaching the US Open final has also boosted Thompson and Purcell’s chances of qualifying for the eight-team season-ending championships in Turin. The dynamic duo have risen to sixth in the points standings and will climb to third if they win the championship.

Win or lose, Thompson is on course to claim his first Grand Slam berth at the Australian Open in January. In New York, he reached a personal best as the world No. 29 singles ranking.