Sandgren, Krajicek reach Olympic doubles semis

The Olympic men's doubles duo of Tennys Sandgren and Austin Krajicek is through to the semifinals in Tokyo, putting them just one win away from a medal. The Americans reached the last four with a 6-3, 7-6 win over Germans Alex Zverev and Jan-Lennard Struff on Wednesday, and will face the Croatian pairing of Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic on Thursday for a spot in the gold-medal match.

After twice coming back from a set down to win match tiebreaks in the opening two rounds, the Americans never trailed in the quarterfinals—though the match wasn't without its share of drama. The point of the match came with the U.S. leading, 4-2, in the second-set tiebreak. They would go on to win it, 7-4.

"There's a massive difference between 4-3 and 5-2, up a double break," Sandgren said after the match. "That point was one of those where it kind of breaks down. The point breaks down and you've got to keep your wits about you.

"Austin did that, and I really didn't know what was going on," he added with a laugh. "He ended up hitting a forehand winner, inside-out through the middle of the court, which I didn't even know was possible, quite frankly... I haven't seen it. It was just a massive point that kind of sealed the deal for us."

Familiar teammates and good friends, Sandgren and Krajicek reached the 2018 US Open quarterfinals as a pair. Their partnership at the pro level dates back to 2016, when they won a Challenger title in Champaign, Illinois. More recently, they teamed up four times in 2021 prior to the Olympics, including at the French Open and Wimbledon. The duo reached the second round at Roland Garros, but have found a new gear in Tokyo.

“It's a huge advantage for any team. It's not very often that the guys that play together at the Olympics play together all the time," explained Krajicek, the doubles world No. 48. "It's big for Tennys and I to have a bunch of tournaments under our belt.

"And obviously being good friends off the court, it makes it fun. We're staying positive out there and going for it. So we're going to the same thing tomorrow and take our chances.”

Both men also played college tennis, with Sandgren starring for Tennessee (2010-11) and Krajicek enjoying a Hall of Fame career at Texas A&M (2008-11).

A win in Thursday's semifinal would guarantee a medal for Team USA, while a loss would leave them in the bronze-medal match.

"That third-place match, that's just too much pressure on us," said Sandgren, a two-time Australian Open singles quarterfinalist. "At least if you're playing for gold or silver, you get first or second. That's a big deal. I think tomorrow we're just going to be super focused on that semifinal match. Not going to worry about medals. Just take advantage of what's in front of us.”

Thursday's semifinal match will be second on Court 3, with the day's play beginning at 3 p.m. Tokyo time, or 2 a.m. ET. As for the preparations, the Americans will stick to the culinary routine that's helped them get this far—generous helpings of Japanese Wagyu beef.

"I think Tokyo still has some Wagyu left, hopefully," Sandgren joked. "Until all the Wagyu is gone, our job is not done."

For more from Tokyo, including full results and schedule, visit the official Olympic tennis homepage.