Top seeds Henri Kontinen and John Peers got their Internazionali BNL d’Italia campaign off to a flying start on Thursday, moving into the quarter-finals with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Joao Sousa and Fernando Verdasco. Kontinen/Peers scored the lone service breaks of each set at 6-5 to prevail in one hour and 27 minutes. They are looking to pick up their first ATP World Tour title since winning their first Grand Slam title this January at the Australian Open. Next up for Kontinen/Peers are fifth seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, who continued their fine form with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Florin Mergea and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi. Kubot/Melo have already won ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles this year in...
Kontinen New No. 1 Finland’s Henri Kontinen on Monday became the 50th player in the history of the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings to rise to No. 1, following a strong run of form with his regular partner John Peers over the past six months. Kontinen's rise to the summit ends the 38-week stint at the top spot for France’s Nicolas Mahut. Read: Kontinen No. 1 Tribute Kontinen and Peers have put together a 25-6 match record since mid-October 2016, picking up titles at the Paris Masters (d. Herbert-Mahut), the ATP Finals (d. Klaasen-Ram) and the Australian Open (d. Bryans). They were also runners up at the Shanghai Rolex Masters (l. to Isner-Sock). In 2017, they are the early pace-setters in...
Henri Kontinen is the new No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings, ending the 38-week stint of France’s Nicolas Mahut at the summit of the professional game. He is the first Finn and 50th player overall since the establishment of the team rankings in March 1976 to become World No. 1. Just as hard-graft helped Jarkko Nieminen become world-class for a place in Finland’s sporting history, alongside the likes of Janne Ahonen, Mika Häkkinen, Sami Hyypiä and Teemu Selänne, Kontinen’s determination to succeed has also helped his talent blossom. In four short years, the 26 year old has risen from competing in ITF Futures tournaments on the comeback trail from injury, uncertain of his future, to today leading the...
Henri Kontinen and John Peers head into this week’s Miami Open presented by Itaú in uncharted territory. They are the top seeds at an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament for the first time and, for Kontinen, an added incentive looms. The 26 year old stands to become the first World No. 1 from Finland in the Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings should he and Peers push deep and other results fall their way. The Australian Open champions stand to make up big ground having fallen in the opening round last year (l. to Cilic/Draganja). Kontinen will ascend to the individual doubles top spot unless he and Peers and defending champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut fail to reach the semi-finals,...
ATP World Tour Uncovered presented by Peugeot goes behind the scenes with John Peers and Henri Kontinen, the hottest doubles team on tour. Getty Images photo.