Top seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo advanced their hopes of winning a second Grand Slam title together on Thursday at the Australian Open. The 2017 Wimbledon champions spent only 51 minutes on court during a 6-2, 6-2 win against Italy's Paolo Lorenzi and Mischa Zverev of Germany. Kubot/Melo, who won the Sydney International doubles title last week, their seventh team crown in the past 11 months, captured 82 per cent of their first-serve points and hit 20 more winners than Lorenzi/Zverev (29-9). The top seeds will next meet Aussie wild cards Max Purcell and Luke Saville, who prevailed past Russians Mikhail Elgin and Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-4. [ALSO LIKE] Third seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau also were on...
Watch highlights as Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo win the 2018 Sydney International doubles title. Video courtesy Tennis Australia. Visit sydneyinternational.com.au for more video. Playback not available in Australia. SMP Images photo.
Watch Lukas Kubot demonstrate his post-match celebration to his doubles partner Marcelo Melo on Friday after they lifted they lifted the Sydney International title. Video courtesy Sydney International. Visit sydneyinternational.com.au for more video.
Welcome to the 2018 ATP World Tour doubles season, which is starting a lot like the 2017 ATP World Tour doubles season. At least that's the case for the co-No. 1 players in the ATP Doubles Rankings, Marcelo Melo of Brazil and Poland's Lukasz Kubot. The duo won their first title of the season on Friday, beating Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff and Viktor Troicki of Serbia 6-3, 6-4 at the Sydney International. Kubot/Melo saved both break points they faced and won 77 per cent of their service points. [ALSO LIKE] “It was great. I think we played very good in the final, as we have been playing in the tournament. We, for sure, are very happy to start the year with...
As Marcelo Melo’s results dropped off from the 2017 Brisbane International presented by Suncorp and the clock edged closer to midnight in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, on Sunday night, 9,347 miles away — and with a 16-hour time difference — in Sydney, Australia, Lukasz Kubot received news. The 35-year-old Pole had risen to No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings, tied with his partner Melo. For the first time since Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan jointly held top spot for the final time on 25 October 2015, the team discipline has two stand-out performers. View Latest Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings Speaking at the Sydney International on Tuesday, having reflected on the achievement overnight, Kubot told ATPWorldTour.com, “It’s a dream. As...