ATP Tour
Big-serving duo Alexander Bublik and Ben Shelton claimed the honours in a star-studded doubles showdown at the Internazional BNL d'Italia Thursday.
In a battle between four Top 25 singles players in the PIF ATP Rankings, Shelton and Bublik saved six of seven break points faced to defeat Felix Auger-Aliassime and Frances Tiafoe 6-1, 6-7(6), 10-7.
Bublik and Shelton squandered three match points in the second-set – the first while trying to serve out the match at 5-4 and two more in the tie-break – but shook off the disappointment soon after by clinching the decisive Match Tie-break.
Shelton was making his first doubles outing of the European clay swing, but it is his seventh doubles event of the year. His best result was a semi-final showing with Emilio Nava in Dallas. Bublik snapped a five-match doubles losing streak, which had included opening-round losses at the ATP Masters 1000 level in Madrid, Monte-Carlo, Miami and Indian Wells.
Shelton and Bublik will next play Marcelo Melo and Alexander Zverev, who is No. 5 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The regular partners upset fourth seeds Austin Krajicek and Neal Skupski 7-6(0), 6-7(5), 11-9.
In another battle of singles stars, Top 30 Argentine duo Francisco Cerundolo and Tomas Martin Etcheverry rallied from a set down to defeat Top 20 Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul 4-6, 6-1, 10-8.
South Americans Sebastian Baez and Thiago Seyboth Wild won an epic point (watch below) en route to defeating fellow singles stars Tallon Griekspoor and Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 7-5.
© Copyright 1994 - 2024 ATP Tour, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way or by any means (including photocopying, recording or storing it in any medium by electronic means), without the written permission of ATP Tour, Inc.. Terms & Conditions | Privacy | Community Social Media Policy | Modern Slavery Statement | Feedback | Cookies | Your Privacy Choices 
