Cash/Glasspool save MP to take Tokyo title

Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool dug deep to clinch a maiden ATP Tour title early in their fledgling partnership Tuesday at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships.

The two Britons overcame Ariel Behar and Robert Galloway 6-4, 4-6, 12-10 to lift the trophy in just their second event together. Cash and Glasspool were on the brink of defeat when match point down at 9/10 in the Match Tie-break, but they reeled off three points in a row from there to seal a 78-minute triumph at the ATP 500 in Tokyo.

“It has been a good start to the partnership," said Glasspool at the trophy ceremony. "Amazing to get a title in the second week for us and I hope it can continue in this direction.”

🏆 Doubles champions in Tokyo 🏆

British duo Cash and Glasspool lift the trophy after defeating Galloway/Behar 6-4 4-6 [12-10]!@japanopentennis | #kinoshitajotennis pic.twitter.com/ilgJcbKMzE

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 1, 2024

Both teams produced rock-solid serving performances inside Ariake Coliseum, where each finished the match having won 82 per cent (37/45) of points behind first deliveries, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Yet Cash and Glasspool, who last week reached the Hangzhou quarter-finals in their first tournament together, held their nerve late to become the second all-British pair to triumph in Tokyo after Andy Murray and Jamie Murray in 2011.

“Thanks Lloyd for pairing up this week," said Cash. "Really good to get a title and hopefully we can keep the momentum and keep pushing forwards.”

It is the biggest title of Cash’s career and his third tour-level title overall after the 28-year-old lifted two ATP 250 crowns alongside his Tokyo championship-match opponent Galloway earlier this year. Glasspool is now a five-time ATP Tour champion after winning his second ATP 500 title (Hamburg 2022 w/Heliovaara).

Heliovaara/Patten rally for Beijing final spot
At the China Open, Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten recovered from a slow start to notch an impressive semi-final victory against Jamie Murray and John Peers.

The third-seeded pair, which lifted its maiden major title at Wimbledon in July, prevailed 7-5, 6-1 to seal a final spot on debut at the ATP 500 in Beijing. Heliovaara and Patten had trailed 2-5 in the opening set but went onto convert five of 10 break points they earned in their 79-minute win.

Currently seventh in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings as they chase a spot at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, Heliovaara and Patten will take on top seeds Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in Wednesday’s final. The Italian pair, which is third in the Live Doubles Teams Rankings, defeated Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic 7-6(1), 6-2 to reach its fifth tour-level title match of 2024.