- Neal & Ken Skupski win the doubles title in Acapulco
- Defeated the top seeds along the way
ACAPULCO, MEXICO – Neal & Ken Skupski claimed the title after defeating the other Brits in the event and the top seeds.
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Neal & Ken Skupski entered the ATP 500 in Acapulco. The Brits were unseeded in the second 500 event of the 2021 season. In the first round the Brits drew Diego Schwartzman & Joao Sousa. The Argentine/Portuguese pair stayed with the Skupski brothers in the first set, before the Brits managed to obtain the necessary break to move into the lead. The second set was tighter as Schwartzman & Sousa forced a tiebreak. Fortunately the Skupski brothers edged the victory to move into the next round 6-4, 7-6(9).
The quarter-final saw the Skupski brothers against second seeds Jamie Murray & Bruno Soares. The Brit/Brazilian were broken early by the Skupski brothers and couldn’t get the set back. However, the seeds regrouped. Murray & Soares came out fighting and broke the serve of the brothers to level up the match. In the ensuing match tiebreak the all British team edged into the lead and the seeds just could not get back on terms. It was the Skupski brothers that booked the semi-final spot 6-3, 3-6, 12-10.
In the semi-final the Skupski brothers took on the only other remaining team with a Brit involved. They were up against fourth seeds Joe Salisbury & Rajeev Ram. Much like the first round match, the Skupski brothers secured a break of serve to move into the lead. The Brit/American regrouped in the second set, with neither team getting the break to lead. With the match close, eventually the fourth seeds forced a tiebreak and stayed with the brothers. However, the Brits managed to get the mini break and stay ahead, booking the spot in the final in straight sets 6-4, 7-6(5).
The final saw the brothers against the top seeds Horacio Zeballos & Marcel Granollers. The Argentine/Spaniard brought their game, and the Brits stayed right with them. The first set went to a tiebreak, which the Brits had a good record of up to this point. In the breaker the Skupski brothers applied the pressure, and it worked. Zeballos & Granollers were unable to keep with the Brits and were soon a set down. In the second set the Brits managed to secure a break of serve and hold on to win the title 7-6(3), 6-4.
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Doubles Round Up
Dan Evans with Robin Hasse were defeated by Lorenzo Sonego & Andrea Vavassori in the first round in Dubai 6-1, 6-4.
Heather Watson with Zheng Saisai were defeated by Asia Muhammad & Caroline Dolehide in the final in Monterrey 6-2, 6-3.
Lloyd Glasspool with Matt Reid defeated Denys Molchanov & Sergiy Stakhovsky in the final in Biella 4 6-3, 6-4.
Charles Dossetter with Kailash Nath were defeated by Mikel Aranzabel & Sergi Perez Contri in the first round in La Nucia 6-0, 6-1.
Amil Dodds & Daniel Little were defeated by Takuto Niki & Yusuke Takahashi in the first round in Sharm-El-Shiekh 6-0, 6-4.
Ben Jones & Joshua Paris were defeated by Jacopo Berrettini & Neil Oberleitner in the quarter-final in Sharm-El-Sheikh 6-7(6), 6-3, 10-7.
Alicia Barnett with Yuriko Lily Miyazaki were defeated by Momoko Kobori & Ayano Shimizu in the final in Sharm-El-Sheikh 6-4, 6-1.
Anna Popescu with Yui Chikaraishi were defeated by Rina Saigo & Yukina Saigo in the quarter-final in Monastir 6-4, 6-3.
Next week Brits play in Miami, Lugano, Egypt, India, Tunisia & Argentina.
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