© Daniel McEnrue/Atlanta Open
Rajeev Ram and Jack Sock on Monday advance to the second round in Atlanta without facing a break point.
Kokkinakis and Kyrgios also advance
Rajeev Ram and Jack Sock competed together in an ATP Tour event for the first time on Monday. That did not stop them from producing a nearly flawless performance.
The Americans ousted Mexico’s Hans Hach Verdugo and India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-3, 6-3 to advance to the Atlanta Open quarter-finals without facing a break point. The third seeds won 93 per cent of their first-serve points to triumph after 53 minutes.
Ram’s full-time doubles partner is Joe Salisbury, the current No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings. If Ram and Sock win the Atlanta title, Ram will have the same number of ranking points as Salisbury on Monday. Since he will have played fewer tournaments to earn those points, Ram would become the new doubles World No. 1.
Reigning Australian Open champions Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios won a blockbuster showdown against Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 7-6(8), 6-3. The second seeds saved the one break point they faced.
In other Atlanta doubles action, American wild cards Christopher Eubanks and Mackenzie McDonald clawed past Frenchmen Quentin Halys and Adrian Mannarino 6-7(3), 6-4, 10-8.
Top Seeds Advance In Kitzbühel
Top seeds Tim Puetz and Michael Venus eliminated home favourites Lukas Neumayer and Sebastian Ofner 6-2, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the Generali Open in Kitzbühel.
Joining them in the last eight were Spanish-Italian team Pedro Martinez and Lorenzo Sonego as well as Monagesque-Polish duo Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski.
Barrientos/Reyes-Varela Rally In Umag
In the only doubles match played Monday at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag, Colombian Nicolas Barrientos and Mexico’s Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela defeated Swede Andre Goransson and Japan’s Ben McLachlan 3-6, 6-2, 10-4.