ATP Tour

22 and done! Mektic/Ram snap the streak of Cash/Glasspool in Cincinnati SFs

Nikola Mektic and Rajeev Ram put an end to Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool’s formidable 22-match tour-level winning streak on Saturday at the Cincinnati Open.

Mektic and Ram delivered a clutch display to prevail 7-6(4), 7-6(2) and reach their first tour-level final together in just their third event of the season. With its win, the Croatian-American duo is up 188 spots to No. 33 in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings. They could jump to No. 25 with a title in Cincinnati.

Cash and Glasspool, who are No. 1 in the Live Doubles Teams Rankings and already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, were chasing their fifth consecutive trophy after success at Queen’s Club, Eastbourne, Wimbledon and Toronto. Despite semi-final defeat in Cincinnati, however, Glasspool will on Tuesday rise to a career-high No. 1 in the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings and Cash to a personal-best World No. 2.

With their victory, Mektic and Ram improved to a 6-3 team record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. In the Cincinnati championship match, they will face singles stars Lorenzo Sonego and Lorenzo Musetti.

Musetti and Sonego held their nerve to rally past fifth seeds Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 4-6, 6-3, 13-11, converting their sixth match point. The Italians are into their first tour-level final since reaching the championship match in Doha last year.

Salisbury and Skupski, who are No. 5 in the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, will head to Winston-Salem, where the top seeds are aiming to bolster their qualification hopes for the Nitto ATP Finals.