Ram Scores 200th Doubles Win In Halle
Marathon matches galore in Halle and London on Thursday
Rajeev Ram picked up his 200th ATP World Tour doubles victory on Thursday at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, teaming with Raven Klaasen for a marathon 6-7(7), 7-6(5), 10-5 quarter-final win over local qualifiers Andre Begemann and Tim Puetz.
The second seeds and two-time defending champions missed a set point at 6/5 in the first-set tie-break, but regrouped to prevail in one hour and 47 minutes. Next up for Klaasen/Ram are another pair of Germans in brothers Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev.
Top seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo continued their top grass-court form with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Spaniards Roberto Bautista Agut and David Ferrer. Kubot/Melo are still unbeaten on grass this year after taking the title last week in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (d. Klaasen/Ram).
Awaiting them in the semi-finals are Fabrice Martin and Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who saved a set point in the first-set tie-break en route to defeating third seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau 7-6(7), 6-3.
Over at the Aegon Championships in London, third seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares defeated reigning Roland Garros champions Ryan Harrison and Michael Venus 7-6(1), 4-6, 10-6 to reach the semi-finals. Murray/Soares are also unbeaten on grass this year after prevailing last week in Stuttgart (d. Marach/Pavic).
Next up for Murray/Soares are Marin Cilic and Marcin Matkowski, who outlasted Marcus Daniell and Marcelo Demoliner 7-6(9), 1-6, 10-8. Cilic/Matkowski saved three set points in the first-set tie-break.
Frenchman Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin scored an upset over fourth seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan 7-6(4), 4-6, 10-6. They’ll play Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig for a place in the final.
