Austrians Erler/Miedler Make Strong Shanghai Start

Unseeded Austrians Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler defeated French singles stars Ugo Humbert and Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 6-2 to make a winning start to their Rolex Shanghai Masters campaign on Friday.

Erler/Miedler were a perfect six-for-six on break chances in the 57-minute match, while saving two of the four break points against them. The Austrians won more than 50 per cent of their return points against both first and second serve.

Erler/Miedler are in 15th place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings but could make up significant ground on the top eight with a deep run in Shanghai.

Fifth-seeded Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni — comfortably inside the top eight at fourth place in their quest to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin — also notched an opening win on Friday with a 6-4,  6-4 result against Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski.

Seventh seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos scored a 7-6(5), 7-6(3) win against Belgians Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen, with both teams breaking twice in the match. The victorious Spanish-Argentine duo is in sixth place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings.

Rounding out Friday's doubles action in Shanghai, wild cards Gonzalo Escobar and Aleksandr Nedovyesov beat Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara 6-4, 6-4.