Jordan Thompson is in line for a monster million-dollar pay day after earning a shot at grand slam redemption in New York. Two months after suffering Wimbledon finals heartbreak, Thompson and his great Sydney mate Max Purcell are through to the US Open men’s doubles title decider at Flushing Meadows.
Thompson and Purcell outclassed Americans Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) in the semi-finals on Thursday to edge to within one tantalising win of taking the title. The tense last-four victory comes after Thompson and Purcell ousted top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the quarter-finals.
Landing a maiden grand slam trophy together would not only atone somewhat for failing to convert either of two match points in a crushing finals loss to Brit Henry Patten and Finn Harri Heliovaara at the All England Club. It would also secure Thompson a life-changing cheque for $US700,000 ($A1.04m) for a magical fortnight’s work in the Big Apple.
The 30-year-old is already certain to bank $US325,000 ($A482,000) for reaching the last 16 of the singles, where it took his Australian Davis Cup teammate and world No 10 Alex de Minaur to stop his breakout run. Thompson and Purcell will also split the $US750,000 ($A1.13m) winners’ purse if they beat fourth seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic or Germans Kevin Krawletz and Tim Puetz in the final on Saturday in New York.
Money, though, can’t buy a grand slam title and Thompson is hell bent on snaring one.
“It’s incredible,” Thompson said. “My first full year of doubles and we’ve managed to go to a Wimbledon final and a US Open final and hopefully you can go one better here.
“It’s not really me. Just ask [Purcell] about his shoulders. I was jumping on and now it’s back-to-back finals.”
Purcell already owns a grand slam trophy, having partnered fellow Australian Matt Ebden to win the Wimbledon men’s doubles two years ago before hooking up with Thompson.
“That’s what makes it so special because we’re such good mates and, every time we get a win, I just feel overloaded with happiness,” Purcell said. “Getting that feeling that it’s not just the achievement, it’s who you do it with.
“I feel like we’ve got such a great camp and we work really hard this year to kind of make it a goal to win a grand slam. So to be one match away again, it’s always really special.”
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Making the US Open final has also solidified Thompson’s 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 they will climb to third if they win the championship.
Win or lose, Thompson is also on track to clinch a first-time grand slam seeding at the Australian Open in January after claiming a career-high singles ranking of No 29 in the world for his efforts in New York.