Barrientos/Matos complete memorable Rio run

Rio Open/Fotojump

Colombian Nicolas Barrientos and Brazilian Rafael Matos won their first ATP Tour title as a team Sunday when they defeated Austrians Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler 6-4, 6-3 in the Rio Open presented by Claro final.

Barrientos and Matos reached their maiden tour-level semi-final together last week in Buenos Aires and went two steps further in Brazil. Matos became the first Brazilian champion in tournament history (singles or doubles) after his countrymen went 0-4 in Rio de Janeiro finals.

The champions lost the first set in the first three matches they played this week, but brought their best with the trophy on the line. According to Infosys ATP Stats, Barrientos and Matos saved nine of the break points they faced to triumph in one hour and 33 minutes.

The triumph marked Barrientos’ first ATP Tour title and Matos’ seventh. They are now fifth in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Teams Rankings.

^{Photo: Qatar Tennis}

Murray/Venus Emerge Victorious In Doha
Jamie Murray and Michael Venus collected their first title of the season at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open after they survived Italians Lorenzo Musetti and Lorenzo Sonego 7-6(0), 2-6, 10-8 in Saturday's final.

The British-Kiwi team, who won four team titles in 2023, dropped just one set all week en route to the ATP 250 crown. The Doha triumph comes as a welcome sight for Murray and Venus, who entered the week winless in 2024 (Murray playing two events, Venus playing five events).

Musetti and Sonego, both Top 50 singles players in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, were competing in their first tour-level doubles final as a team.

Friday, February 23
Jamie Murray and Michael Venus are into their first final of the season at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, where on Friday they marched past Ariel Behar and Adam Pavlasek 6-4, 7-6(5) in the semi-finals.

The top seeds Murray and Venus, who have not dropped a set all week, avenged their Australian Open first-round loss to Behar and Pavlasek in one hour, 25 minutes. Murray and Venus won 67 per cent of their second-serve points, compared to their opponent's 45 per cent.

Despite entering Doha 0-2 on the season, Murray and Venus have quickly rebounded to set a championship clash against Italians Lorenzo Musetti and Lorenzo Sonego, who ousted Andreas Mies and John-Patrick Smith 6-2, 6-7(4), 10-7 in the last four.

Musetti and Sonego, both Top 50 singles players in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, are aiming for their first team title.

Match Tie-breaks decide both Rio SFs
Austrians Alexander Erler and Lucas Miedler fought off four match points in a 6-3, 3-6, 17-15 win against third-seeded Argentines Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni on Friday at the Rio Open presented by Claro. After saving three of five break points against them, the unseeded duo converted on its sixth match point to advance the the final at the ATP 250.

Their opponents, Nicolas Barrientos and Rafael Matos, also advanced in dramatic fashion. The Colombian-Brazilian team edged Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 2-6, 6-3, 10-6.

Escobar/Nedovyesov await singles finalists
Gonzalo Escobar and Aleksandr Nedovyesov advanced to the final at the Mifel Tennis Open by Telcel Oppo on Friday with a 6-2, 6-3 win against Guido Andreozzi and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela. 

The second doubles semi-final, which will see singles finalists Casper Ruud and Jordan Thompson compete against each other, will be played after the singles champion is crowned. Ruud is teaming with American William Blumberg while Thompson and fellow Aussie Max Purcell are the fourth-seeded pairing in the event.