By Glenys Furness
- Neal Skupski claimed the ATP 500 doubles title
- The Brit played with Jamie Murray’s usual partner
QUEENS CLUB, LONDON, UK – Neal Skupski entered the doubles event with Michael Venus. The pair were the seventh seeds and lifted the title.
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Neal Skupski teamed up with Michael Venus for the Cinch Championship and were the seventh seeds. Skupski has partnered with Jamie Murray‘s usual doubles partner for the grass court season, as Murray is the tournament director he was unable to take part.
In the first round Skupski & Venus were against Ugo Humbert & Ben Shelton. The Brit/Kiwi pair secured the vital break of serve in the first set and took the lead. The second set was easier for the seeds, they broke early, Humbert & Shelton could not break back and the seeds progressed 6-4, 6-3.
The quarter-final was a very tough and close match. The seventh seeds were against the second seeds Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram. Both sets saw the pairs go toe to toe and in each set force a tiebreak. The first set tiebreak saw Skupski & Venus edge through and take the lead. The second set tiebreak was even closer, but the Brit/Kiwi edged through and took the match 7-6(5), 7-6(6).
In the semi-final the seventh seeds were against fourth seeds Ivan Dodig & Austin Krajicek. Another close first set saw Skupski & Venus edge through the tiebreak and into the lead. The second set was easier for the Brit/Kiwi as Dodig & Krajicek were broken on serve and unable to get back. The seventh seeds moved on in straight sets 7-6(6), 6-4.
The final saw the seventh seeds against eighth seeds Karen Khachanov & Taylor Fritz. The Russian/American pair got the better start, breaking Skupski & Venus to take the lead. The second set was a battle. However, the Brit/Kiwi forced a tiebreak and edged that to level up the match. The final set was a Champions tiebreak, which again was very close. However, the seventh seeds managed to secure the vital break and lift the title 4-6, 7-6(5), 10-8.
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Doubles Round Up
Julian Cash with Robert Galloway were defeated by Marcelo Arevalo & Mate Pavic in the first round at Queens 6-4, 6-4.
Jack Draper & Cameron Norrie were defeated by Santiago Gonzalez & Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the first round at Queens 6-4, 6-4.
Lloyd Glasspool with Jean-Julien Rojer were defeated by Kevin Krawietz & Tim Puetz in the first round at Halle 7-6(6), 6-3.
Alicia Barnett & Freya Christie were defeated by Hsieh Su-Wei & Elise Mertens in the first round in Birmingham 6-1, 6-1.
Sarah Beth Grey & Tara Moore were defeated by Zhang Shuai & Miyu Kato in the first round in Birmingham 6-2, 6-3.
Harriet Dart & Maia Lumsden were defeated by Sara Sorribes Tormo & Marie Bouzkova in the first round in Birmingham 7-5, 7-5.
Eden Silva & Samantha Murray-Sharan were defeated by Hsieh Su-Wei & Elise Mertens in the quarter-final in Birmingham 6-0, 6-4.
Heather Watson with Greet Minnen were defeated by Zhang Shuai & Miyu Kato in the quarter-final in Birmingham 0-0 (RET).
Olivia Nicholls with Tereza Mihalikova were defeated by Aldila Sutjiadi & Asia Muhammad in the quarter-final in Birmingham 3-6, 6-3, 10-6.
Oliver Okonkwo with Lucas Horve were defeated by Kody Pearson & Quinn Vandecasteele in the quarter-final in Tulsa 6-1, 7-6(7).
Daniel Vishnick with Oliver Clark Anderson were defeated by Jacob Bullard & Nathan Ponwith in the first round in Rancho Santa Fe 6-1, 6-4.
Adam Jones & Matthew Summers were defeated by Johannes Seeman & Wally Thayne in the first round in Rancho Santa Fe 6-3, 7-5.
Joe Tyler with Jared Thompkins were defeated by Collin Altamirano & Leo Vithoontien in the first round in Rancho Santa Fe 3-6, 6-2, 10-5.
Annabelle Lammas with Ana Karen Guadiana Campos were defeated by Vladislava Andreevskaya & Tatyana Nikolenko in the first round in Monastir 7-5, 6-3.
Felix Mischker with Michael Zhu were defeated by Tomasz Berkieta & Tiago Pereira in the quarter-final in Monastir 6-1 (RET).
Luc Koenig with Devin Badenhorst were defeated by Alec Beckley & Alexander Donski in the first round in Hillcrest 6-2, 6-7(3), 10-7.
James Beaven with Darrshan Suresh were defeated by Kabir Hans & Aryan Shah in the first round in Hillcrest 6-2, 6-2.
Max Benaim with Akram El Sallaly were defeated by Guelfo Borghini Baldovinetti & Luca Fantini in the quarter-final in Hillcrest 7-6(1), 6-4.
Next Week Brits play in Eastbourne, Wimbledon Qualifying, Ibague, Spain, South Africa, Tunisia, Serbia, Holland, Poland & France.
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