Marcelo Melo and Jean-Julien Rojer eliminated eighth seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares 6-3, 6-4 on Monday in their opening match at the Mutua Madrid Open.
The unseeded pair, which entered the tournament with a 1-8 team record, saved all seven break points it faced to eliminate the Great Ocean Road Open champions in 70 minutes. Melo and Rojer are both aiming to add to their Madrid trophy collections, having both lifted the trophy with previous partners.
Melo did not drop a set en route to the Madrid trophy in 2017 alongside Lukasz Kubot. Rojer is a two-time champion in Madrid, following title runs with Horia Tecau in 2016 and 2019.
Melo and Rojer will meet Millennium Estoril Open champion Tim Puetz and 2018 singles titlist Alexander Zverev or last year’s Rolex Paris Masters winners Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz in the second round.
Max Purcell and Luke Saville won 85 per cent of their first-serve points (41/48) to beat John Peers and Michael Venus 7-6(9), 6-3. The Aussie duo, which saved three set points in the first-set tie-break, will meet Miami and Monte-Carlo champions Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the second round.
Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov booked a second-round clash against top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah on Monday. The Indian-Canadian duo saved three of the four break points it faced to defeat Spanish wild cards Marc Lopez and Jaume Munar 7-6(4), 6-4.
The unseeded pair, which entered the tournament with a 1-8 team record, saved all seven break points it faced to eliminate the Great Ocean Road Open champions in 70 minutes. Melo and Rojer are both aiming to add to their Madrid trophy collections, having both lifted the trophy with previous partners.
Melo did not drop a set en route to the Madrid trophy in 2017 alongside Lukasz Kubot. Rojer is a two-time champion in Madrid, following title runs with Horia Tecau in 2016 and 2019.
Melo and Rojer will meet Millennium Estoril Open champion Tim Puetz and 2018 singles titlist Alexander Zverev or last year’s Rolex Paris Masters winners Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz in the second round.
Max Purcell and Luke Saville won 85 per cent of their first-serve points (41/48) to beat John Peers and Michael Venus 7-6(9), 6-3. The Aussie duo, which saved three set points in the first-set tie-break, will meet Miami and Monte-Carlo champions Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the second round.
Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov booked a second-round clash against top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah on Monday. The Indian-Canadian duo saved three of the four break points it faced to defeat Spanish wild cards Marc Lopez and Jaume Munar 7-6(4), 6-4.