The top four doubles seeds all advanced to the semi-finals of the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Friday, with top-seeded duo Henri Kontinen and John Peers leading the way as they seek the title after reaching the final last year.
It looked like the No. 2 doubles team in the Emirates ATP Race To London would not get the opportunity to better their result from last year when they fell behind a set and three consecutive break points to open the second set, but Kontinen and Peers rebounded to eliminate fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig and Marcel Granollers, 2-6, 6-3, 10-8.
While the Croatian-Spanish pairing won one more point overall in the match, they were unable to overcome that lost opportunity. Kontinen and Peers did not face another break point and would break at 4-3, enabling the duo to force a match tie-break. The first 12 points went to the serving team, before the Finnish-Australian pair earned a mini-break, which they would not relinquish.
They will next play fourth seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares, who beat No. 6 Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram, 6-1, 7-6(6) to clinch their spot in the Nitto ATP Finals. The team that finished last season atop the Emirates ATP Rankings saved both break points they faced and converted on their third match point in the second-set tie-break to earn the victory.
Kontinen and Peers defeated Murray and Soares in their last meeting this August in Washington.
The Race’s No. 1 team, Marcelo Melo and Lukasz Kubot, edged Santiago Gonzalez and Julio Peralta, 7-6(1), 6-4 to earn their spot in the semi-finals.
The Brazilian-Polish pairing won seven straight points to close out the tie-break in the opening set, and would save a total of three break points in two different service games in the second set before breaking their opponents to end the match.
They will face a stiff test in recent US Open champions Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau, who ousted No. 7 Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, 7-6(6), 6-4.
The first-set tie-break may prove costly in the Race for Marach and Pavic, who are at No. 12 in the standings with only two spots remaining. The duo led 6-1 before losing seven consecutive points and the set. Rojer and Tecau broke twice in the second set to claim the victory.
