University of North Carolina Athletics
Tripp Phillips' U.S. Open Run Ends in Semifinals
September 8, 2006 | Men's Tennis
Sept. 8, 2006
Flushing Meadow, N.Y. - The world's number two ranked doubles team, Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) and Max Mirnyi (Belarus), defeated Tripp Phillips and Ashely Fisher 6-1, 6-4 in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Friday morning in New York. Phillips, a 2000 North Carolina graduate, and Fisher won four matches over the course of the last 10 days and should both achieve career high world rankings next week.
Phillips and Fisher played on Arthur Ashe Stadium Court for the second straight day. Bjorkman and Mirnyi are the prohibitive tournament favorites after the number one seeded Bryan twins were ousted on Wednesday. Individually, Bjorkman and Mirnyi have won 80 overall doubles titles and 12 grand slams during their careers.
Entering the tournament, Phillips was ranked 71 in the ATP Doubles Rankings and had never advanced beyond the first round in a grand slam tournament. Phillips' performance in New York earned him $50,000 and should elevate his world ranking into the top 40.
Phillips and Fisher survived three set battles in their first two matches at the Open. In the second round, they defeated the eighth seeded team of Aspelin and Perry in a third set tiebreaker. On Monday, Phillips and Fisher defeated the 10th seeded team from Poland in straight sets. In Thursday's quarterfinal Phillips and Fisher defeated fellow Americans Jim Thomas and Paul Goldstein, who were semifinalists at the 2005 U.S. Open.
Phillips career at Carolina was highlighted by a trip to the quarterfinals of the 2000 NCAA Singles Championships. He was also awarded the Patterson Medal, the highest honor given to a student-athlete at the University of North Carolina.
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