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New Zealander Michael Venus, right, and Australian doubles partner John Peers with the spoils of victory after winning the European Open in Antwerp.
New Zealand’s best doubles player Michael Venus has won his third ATP doubles title this year, with his Australian partner John Peers.
The second seeded, the kiwi and the Australian, won the final of the European Open in Antwerp, 6-3 and 6-4 over the Indian Rohan Bopanna and the Dutch Matwé Middelkoop.
It was another good performance from Venus and Peers who did not lose a set during the tournament.
They ran to a 5-1 lead in the first set, but then Peers’ serve was broken. On her next serve, Venus had to save a break point before winning the deciding point.
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It was a tighter second set with both teams having early break point opportunities, but games continued with serve until the ninth game when Middelkoop broke and Venus served the match.
It was Venus’s thirteenth ATP doubles title and her third with Peers this year following her victories at the ATP 500 tournaments in Dubai and Hamburg.
Venus is projected to move up two spots to equal her career-high eight in the ATP doubles rankings this week.
He and Peers flew to Vienna for the ATP 500 tournament, where they faced French Open champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies in the first round.
Venus and Peers are close to confirming their place in the ATP Finals in London. They rank sixth in the race and have the tournament in Vienna and next week’s Paris Masters to qualify for the eight-team elite finals.
