Colin Fleming and Jonny Marray were unable to halt the Bryan brothers’ Grand Slam charge as they were knocked out in the quarter-finals of the men’s doubles at the US Open.
The British pair were given a prime-time slot during the night session on Arthur Ashe and had two set points in the first set but went down 7-6 (9/7) 6-4.
Twins Bob and Mike Bryan have won titles at the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon this year and, at the age of 35, are bidding for their first calendar Grand Slam. Both pairs had their chances in the first set.
Fleming and Marray saved five set points across two games but also had a break point of their own at 5-5, which they should have taken but Scot Fleming put a volley wide.
The tie-break was very tight and it was Fleming and Marray who had the first two set points but the Bryans saved them both, the first after a stunning net rally.
And on their sixth set point the brothers took it when last year’s Wimbledon doubles champion Marray missed a return. The second set was also tight but Fleming’s serve was broken for 4-3 and that proved to be the crucial advantage the Bryans needed.
It was a tough loss for the British duo and Fleming said: “I don’t think anyone could have argued with us winning the first set. I missed a really easy volley to break. It’s going to be tough to sleep without thinking about that volley.
“I think it was a really high-level match and we can be proud of the way we played but when it came down to it they just produced the goods on the points that mattered.
“That’s maybe experience of being in these situations more often. We’ve just got to dust ourselves off and come back stronger for the next time and learn that in the big moments you’ve got to back yourself a little bit more.
“Once we get over the defeat, it’s a great memory playing out there in such an amazing match, but it’s tough at the moment.”
Marray had the experience of winning Wimbledon on Centre Court with Dane Freddie Nielsen but neither he nor Fleming had ever even practised on Ashe, which seats more than 22,500 spectators.
“I absolutely loved being out there,” said Fleming. “At no point was I overawed or anything. From the moment we hit out there this morning, it’s an amazing court and it’s what you dream of.”
Britain still has two representatives in the men’s doubles quarter-finals, with Dom Inglot and Filipino partner Treat Huey winning on Monday to join Jamie Murray and his Australian partner John Peers in the last eight.