Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo ignited their title challenge at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi on Tuesday. Both partnerships lost their opening Edberg/Jarryd Group contests but the 2014 runners-up enhanced their chances of a semi-final place courtesy of a strong serving display at the O2 arena. In the first set at 2-1 ATP World Tour veteran Mirnyi, a two-time champion at the season finale, was the first to succumb on serve as Dodig/Melo sent across some rocket returns. Croatian Dodig served for the opener at 5-4 but on a deuce ‘deciding point’ Huey whipped a forehand passing shot onto the tramline to draw level. However Dodig/Melo, playing in...
Dominic Thiem showed more of his clutch tennis on Tuesday at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. The Austrian kept alive his semi-final hopes by beating Gael Monfils 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 in their Group Ivan Lendl match. The 23-year-old debutant broke Monfils at 5-4 in the third set to earn his first victory at the season-ending championships. “I had a good start today. I was trying to stay tough in the third set but at the end, of course, he helped me a little bit with the three double faults. But I’m very happy with the win,” said Thiem. “This tournament, the big crowd, gives me and probably all the players a lot of energy.” Who's Behind Thiem?...
Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares have boosted their chances of ending the season as the No. 1 pair in the Emirates ATP Doubles Team Rankings after dispatching the Bryan Brothers 6-3, 6-4 to in their second round-robin match at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Murray/Soares are on the brink of securing a semi-final place at the O2 arena, where they are locked in a battle with Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut for year-end No. 1 honours. Last year the partnership of John Peer’s and Murray surrendered five match points facing the Americans as they exited the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. “I thought about it (last year’s match) in the changeover in the last game,” admitted Murray. “A...
Andy Murray made a winning start in his first match as No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings. The Scot defeated seventh seed Marin Cilic 6-3, 6-2 in their Group John McEnroe clash at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals on Monday night. "It was a really, really good atmosphere tonight," said Murray, who is now 20 matches unbeaten since 18 September. "After a long few months, it's nice to know that I'm going to be finishing the year playing in that sort of atmosphere. It helps you get up for the matches a bit more, as well.” Murray added 200 points with his 12th win over Cilic and now has 11,110 points in the Emirates ATP Rankings as he...
Fifth seeds Henri Kontinen/John Peers made their Barclays ATP World Tour debut as a pairing a memorable one, not facing a break point in defeating fourth seeds Feliciano Lopez/Marc Lopez 6-3, 7-6(7) in one hour and 17 minutes. Kontinen/Peers have now won 10 of their past 12 matches. They’ve won four ATP World Tour titles together this season, including their first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title earlier this month at the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris. That victory enabled Kontinen to make his debut inside the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings. Kontinen was making his debut at The O2, while Peers was making his second consecutive appearance at the season-ending championships. Feliciano Lopez was also making his...