Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram almost had it for the United States team. (APTO Photo / Andy WONG)
(Associated Press)
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Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek were on the precipice of well-deserved Olympic glory, but everything collapsed in the space of half a set and two equality breaks. He has left Team USA in a familiar position so far in Paris: Silver, just short of gold.
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At one point in their gold medal match against Matthew Ebden and John Peers in Australia, the American pair was in a set and a break, having not lost a tournament. Led 4-2 in the second set, they crossed a break and failed Deuce in another return match to allow the frame to go to a break in equality.
This equality break went very badly, because the Americans lost 7-1 to force a super break of equality of third set. The momentum of the Australians held, taking an advance of 7-2 on what could have been the craziest point of the match. Ram seemed to nail them with a smash above on the side, but Ebden has passed the referee's chair to save the point.
Ram and Krajicek made him interesting with three consecutive points earned towards the end, but they failed to attach it. The Australians left with a 6-7 victory (6), 7-6 (1), 10-8.
This is the second gold medal in Australia in tennis, joining Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde in double male in 1996. This will also pass Australia in second position on the count of gold medals with 12, behind only the 13 years. The total of America remains at nine years old, more than a week after the matches.
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The defeat will also leave the United States team without tennis gold medal for a second consecutive Olympic Games, after three consecutive games of at least one champion. RAM won his second Olympic silver medal, after finishing as a mixed double -planned finalist in 2016, and Krajicek obtained his first medal.
A match later, the other American pair – Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz – beat Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek in the bronze medal match to improve US transport.
At 40 and 34 respectively, Ram and Krajicek had the experience in a draw in a draw that presented stars such as Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Andy Murray. The Spanish duo of Nadal-Alcaraz attracted all his eyes at the start of the tournament, with the 14 times champion of the French Open playing what was probably his last Roland Garros games. Krajicek and Ram brought this story to a screaming stop in the quarterfinals.
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Doubles can often look like a different sport, emphasizing service, fleeting and teamwork, and Ram and Krajicek have delivered the three throughout the tournament, not leaving a set before this second equality break on Saturday.
Ram entered the Olympic Games with six duplicate titles of the Grand Slam in his name, four in men with partner Joe Salisbury and two in mixing with Barbora Krejčíková. Krajicek has only one Grand Slam title at the Open of France 2023, but it was important given the framework.
