Mate Pavić

[Damian]

Mektic/Pavic Edge Into Dubai Semi-finals; Cabal/Farah Save 1 M.P.

Spoiler:

Croatian team continue strong start to 2021
Second-seeded Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic improved to 19-2 on the season with a 6-7(3), 7-6(7), 10-6 victory over Frenchmen Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin on Thursday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

So far this season, Mektic and Pavic have lifted ATP Tour trophies at the Antalya Open (d. Vesely/Weissborn), the Murray River Open in Melbourne (d. Brkic/Qureshi) and the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament (d. Krawietz/Tecau). They also finished runners-up at the Australian Open (l. to Dodig/Polasek).

Top-seeded Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah saved one match point to book their places in the semi-finals.

Cabal and Farah saved one match point at 8/9 in the Match Tie-break to beat Italian qualifiers Lorenzo Sonego and Andrea Vavassori 6-4, 6-7(7), 11-9. The Colombians recovered from 1-4 down in the second set, but could not convert a match point at 6-5 in the second-set tie-break.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mektic- ... s-thursday

[Damian]

Another Week, Another Quarter-final For Mektic/Pavic

Spoiler:

Ram/Salisbury claim Match Tie-break win
Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic extended their perfect 2021 record of quarter-final appearances on Monday at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The second seeds defeated Taylor Fritz and John Isner 6-4, 6-4 to reach their seventh quarter-final in as many events this season. Mektic and Pavic saved all four break points they faced to clinch victory in 63 minutes.

How To Watch

The Croatian pair, which owns a 22-3 record this year, is chasing its fourth title of the season. Mektic and Pavic have already lifted trophies at the Antalya Open, the Murray River Open and the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.



Mektic and Pavic will meet Miomir Kecmanovic and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi for a place in the semi-finals. The unseeded team booked its place in the last eight on Sunday with a Match Tie-break win against 2016 champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.
Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury rallied from a set down to beat Marcelo Demoliner and Santiago Gonzalez 4-6, 6-4, 10-2. The seventh seeds will face American wild cards Sebastian Korda and Michael Mmoh in the quarter-finals.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mektic- ... -6-doubles

[Damian]

Metkic/Pavic March Into Miami Semi-finals

Spoiler:

Croatian pair to next face Ram/Salisbury
Second seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic took one step closer to a Tour-leading fourth title of the year at the Miami Open presented by Itau on Wednesday, after cruising past Miomir Kecmanovic and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi 6-2, 6-2 into the semi-finals.

The Croatian team sits at No. 2 in the FedEx ATP Doubles Race To Turin after reaching the quarter-finals or better at all seven events they’ve contested in 2021. Along the way, Mektic and Pavic have lifted trophies at the Antalya Open, Murray River Open and the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam. They also posted a semi-final run at the Australian Open, and a runner up finish in Dubai.

You May Also Like: Dodig/Polasek Maintain Hot Streak In Miami
They used all of that experience against the unseeded Kecmanovic and Qureshi, who had upset eight seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in the previous round. Mektic and Pavic did not face a break point, and instead converted four of the 12 opportunities they created to seal the victory in 55 minutes.

Mektic and Pavic will face Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in the semi-finals. The seventh seeds took down young Americans Sebastian Korda and Michael Mmoh 7-5, 6-2 on Court 1.

Ram and Salisbury found themselves having to come back from 0-3 and save a set point after Korda and Mmoh made a fast start to the first set. But they settled into the contest, and reeled off five games in a row in the second to take back control after an hour and 19 minutes.


The defeat ends the American team’s dream run, and hands 20-year-old Korda the first defeat of his memorable Miami debut. He is still alive in singles, where he will contest his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final against Andrey Rublev on Thursday.

Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski secured the last spot into the semi-finals with a gutsy 6-7(6), 6-3, 11-9 victory over Marcelo Arevalo and Horia Tecau. With the Miami crowd firmly rallying behind the Salvadoran-Romanian team – who held one match point in the Match Tie-break – the Brits found a way through to win in an hour and 55 minutes.

Evans and Skupski will face fourth seeds Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek for a shot at the championship match. Dodig and Polasek, who started the season lifting the Australian Open trophy, edged past Oliver Marach and Luke Saville 7-6(4), 6-4 on Monday to advance.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mektic- ... dnesday-qf

[Damian]

Mektic/Pavic To Meet Evans/Skupski In Miami Final

Spoiler:

Second seeds seeking fourth title of 2021
Second seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic booked a spot in their fifth ATP Tour final of the year at the Miami Open presented by Itau with a victory over Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury on Thursday.

The Croatian pair took one step closer to a Tour-leading fourth title of the year. They hope to add an ATP Masters 1000 trophy to their 2021 haul, having already claimed victory at the Antalya Open, Murray River Open and the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam in 2021.

You May Also Like: Hurkacz Completes Memorable Tsitsipas Comeback In Miami
Mektic and Pavic were on song in their 6-3, 7-6(5) win against Ram and Salisbury, saving both of the break points they faced across one hour and 29 minutes on Court 1.

They will take on unseeded Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski in the championship match. The all-British team claimed a hard-fought victory over Australian Open champions Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek, the fourth seeds, winning 7-6(4), 1-6, 10-8 after an hour and 42 minutes.

How To Watch

The victory sends Evans into his first ATP Tour doubles final, while Skupski is looking to lift his second trophy of the year in back-to-back weeks.

Skupski partnered with brother Ken Skupski to victory at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, their first title together since 2019. But the pair had to part ways temporarily after Ken was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right leg ahead of their trip to Miami.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mektic- ... sday-day-9

[Damian]

Mektic/Pavic Make History, Storm To Miami Title

Spoiler:

The second seeds do not lose a set in the tournament
Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic have been on fire to begin their new partnership in 2021, and they showed it on Saturday with a 6-4, 6-4 win against Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski to win the Miami Open presented by Itau.

The champions became the second all-Croatian team to win an ATP Masters 1000 title, and the first duo from their country to triumph in Miami. The second seeds did not lose a set en route to the trophy.

Mektic and Pavic have already won four tournaments this year (also Antalya, Melbourne-2 and Rotterdam). With their five victories in Florida, they are now 25-3 on the season.

How To Watch

Pavic, who is one of the biggest doubles servers on the ATP Tour, double faulted to give the Brits an early break. But the favourites remained undeterred, breaking back in the next game when Pavic crushed a return at deuce.

That became the trend of the match. Although the Brits battled hard throughout, the Croatians had too big of a combined game, often forcing net errors with their big groundstrokes and overwhelming aggression. Evans and Skupski struggled to go on the offensive, and their opponents surged to their win after one hour and 16 minutes.

Mektic and Pavic overcame 2020 Australian Open champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, the seventh seeds, in the semi-finals. They depart Miami with 1,000 FedEx ATP Doubles Rankings points.

Evans and Skupski enjoyed a dream run in their team debut. They became just the third all-British duo to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final. Although they were unable to lift the trophy, the Brits add 600 points each to their tally. Two weeks ago, Skupski won the Acapulco crown with his brother, Ken Skupski.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/miami-2 ... bles-final

[Damian]

Mektic/Pavic Chase More Masters 1000 Success In Monte-Carlo

Spoiler:

Top seeds Cabal and Farah lead the way
Miami Open presented by Itau champions Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic will chase their second ATP Masters 1000 trophy of the season at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

Mektic, who won the 2019 title alongside Franko Skugor, and Pavic will face singles stars Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin or Marcelo Demoliner and Danill Medvedev in their opening match. The second seeds are joined in the bottom quarter of the draw by 2016 champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut.

View Monte-Carlo Doubles Draw

Mektic and Pavic own a 25-3 record this season and have already lifted four ATP Tour trophies in 2021. Prior to clinching the Miami title, the Croatian pair also triumphed at the Antalya Open, the Murray River Open and the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos will aim to capture their third Masters 1000 trophy as a team. The fourth seeds, who headline the third quarter of the draw, won three clay-court events last season, including the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome.

You May Also Like: Djokovic To Face Early Monte-Carlo Test, Nadal In Opposite Halves
The Spanish-Argentine duo will face French pair Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin or two-time Masters 1000 finalists Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev in the second round. The third quarter also features a first-round clash between eighth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau and wild cards Petros Tsitsipas and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

In the top half of the draw, top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah lead the way. The 17-time tour-level team titlists will attempt to double their 2021 trophy count in Monte-Carlo, following their title run at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships last month.

How To Watch

Cabal and Farah will face reigning Rolex Paris Masters champions Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz or Monegasque wild cards Romain Arneodo and Hugo Nys in their tournament opener. The Colombians are also joined in the top quarter by sixth seeds Wesley Koolhof and Lukasz Kubot and singles stars Fabio Fognini and Diego Schwartzman.

The second quarter is led by the two teams which contested the Australian Open final in February: Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek and Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury. Dodig and Polasek, who lifted the trophy at Melbourne Park in February, have competed in two finals this season (1-1). Ram and Salisbury have reached the semi-finals or better at their three most recent events.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/monte-c ... sters-1000

[Damian]

Mektic/Pavic Complete Comeback In Monte-Carlo

Spoiler:

Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic reached their sixth final in eight events this year on Saturday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. The second seeds recovered from 3-6, 2-4 down to defeat Marcel Granollers of Spain and Argentine Horacio Zeballos 3-6, 7-5, 10-4 in the opening match of the day on Court Rainier III.

Mektic and Pavic, who are 4-1 in title match this season, will attempt to claim their second straight ATP Masters 1000 trophy on Sunday. Earlier this month, the Croatian pair captured its maiden Masters 1000 team trophy at the Miami Open presented by Itau.

How To Watch

Granollers and Zeballos were attempting to move one win away from their third Masters 1000 title as a pair. The fourth seeds did not drop a set en route to the final four at the Monte-Carlo Country Club.

Mektic and Pavic will meet top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah or British pair Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski in the championship match. Cabal and Farah are the only team to beat Mektic and Pavic in a final (Dubai 2021). A win for Evans and Skupski would confirm a repeat of this year's Miami final.

Did You Know?
Mektic is attempting to win his second straight Monte-Carlo crown. The 32-year-old lifted the 2019 trophy alongside Franko Skugor.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mektic- ... 1-saturday

[Damian]

[Damian]

Mektic/Pavic Clinch Monte-Carlo Crown; Fifth Doubles Title Of Year

Spoiler:

Croatian team now 29-3 on the 2021 season
Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic captured their fifth ATP Tour team title from six finals on Sunday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. The second-seeded Croatians won a repeat of the Miami Open presented by Itau final, beating Britons Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski 6-3, 4-6, 10-7 in one hour and 36 minutes.

Mektic and Pavic improved to a 29-3 match record on the season, which includes trophies at the Antalya Open (d. Dodig/Polasek), Murray River Open in Melbourne (d. Chardy/Martin), ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam (d. Krawietz/Tecau) and Miami.

"It’s incredible, we’re so, so happy, especially because the final was so intense," said Mektic, who also lifted the 2019 Monte-Carlo crown with Franko Skugor. "It was 10/7 for us, but it could have gone either way. It's a wonderful place. It was special to win here with another fellow Croatian [in 2019] the first time around, and this is equally as special."

Pavic said, "[Daniel and Neal] are very tough. They won a lot of matches. Neal won Acapulco before Miami too. I would like to see them playing more together, because they are a good team, but it’s up to Dan and his singles.

"We have played more than 30 matches and we’ve been playing great. We’re on a run. It was our first clay tournament together and the matches we’ve played before this week gave us confidence. It was good to get the Match Tie-break win yesterday [against Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos] too.”

Pavic, Mektic

Mektic and Pavic got off to the best possible start by winning the first three games. But the British pair clawed their way back, with Evans hitting a smash winner to break Pavic’s serve at 2-3. Pavic took his chance on return of serve in the eighth game, striking a backhand winner past Evans and closed out the 31-minute opener to love in the next game.

After an early exchange of breaks early in the second set, Evans did well to recover from 15/40 for a 3-2 advantage. The Britons went on to seal the second set when Pavic struck a backhand slice approach shot long.

The Match Tie-break appeared to turn in favour of Evans and Skupski, when Pavic struck back-to-back double faults from 5-4. But at 5/6, Mektic hit a backhand return winner down the line. Mektic later hit a reaction volley off a powerful Evans forehand that looped over Skupski’s head on championship point. Mektic and Pavic clinched the Miami title earlier this month with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Evans and Skupski.


“Well done again, another great week,” said Evans. “We can’t get you yet, but we’ll keep trying.” Skupski said: “Congratulations again, it seems to be going well for you this year.”

This week, Evans beat World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the singles third round and went on to reach the semi-finals at the Monte-Carlo Country Club. Skupski won the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC with his older brother, Ken Skupski, last month.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mektic- ... bles-final

[Damian]

Can Mektic/Pavic Continue Masters 1000 Dominance In Madrid?

Spoiler:

Cabal/Farah are top seeds at La Caja Magica
Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic enter the Mutua Madrid Open with an unbeaten 9-0 record in ATP Masters 1000 events. The second seeds will attempt to extend that run in the Spanish capital with their third trophy of the year at the level.

This year’s Miami and Monte-Carlo champions have been in peak form throughout the year, with 29 wins from 32 matches and five trophies from six finals. The Croatian pair will open its Madrid title bid against John Peers and Michael Venus or Max Purcell and Luke Saville in the second round.

The opening two Masters 1000 events of the year produced identical finals, with Mektic and Pavic defeating Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski in both the Miami and Monte-Carlo finals. That will not be possible at La Caja Magica, with the two teams both featuring in the bottom quarter of the draw.

View Madrid Doubles Draw

Evans and Skupski will meet Marcelo Demoliner and Daniil Medvedev in their tournament opener and will face the winner of Wesley Koolhof and Lukasz Kubot’s first-round clash against Greek wild cards Petros Tsitsipas and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The two teams that contested this year’s Australian Open final — Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek and Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury — also feature in the bottom half of the draw.

Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah will attempt to collect their third trophy of the season in Madrid. The top seeds enter the tournament on a four-match unbeaten run, having not dropped a set en route to the Barcelona title last week. The Colombians will face Spanish wild cards Marc Lopez and Jaume Munar or Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov in the second round.

You May Also Like: Nadal Faces Potential Alcaraz Opener In Madrid
Eight seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares join Cabal and Farah in the top quarter. The Great Ocean Road Open champions will meet 2017 champion Marcelo Melo and two-time winner Jean-Julien Rojer (2016, ’19) in the first round. The winner of that encounter will face 2020 Rolex Paris Masters champions Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz or Tim Puetz and Alexander Zverev in the second round.

Last year’s Rome champions Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos and sixth seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut lead the way in the second quarter. Granollers and Zeballos await the winners of the blockbuster first-round clash between two-time Masters 1000 finalists Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev and Fabio Fognini and Diego Schwartzman. Herbert and Mahut will meet 2019 Roland Garros finalists Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin in their first match.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mektic- ... es-preview

[Damian]

Mektic/Pavic To Face Granollers/Zeballos For Madrid Title

Spoiler:

The Croatians are going for their sixth title of 2021
Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic are one win away from the the Mutua Madrid Open title after defeating Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday.

The second seeds will take on Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in Sunday's final after the third seeds received a walkover from Tim Puetz and Alexander Zverev. Zverev beat Dominic Thiem in the singles semi-finals and will vie for the trophy against Matteo Berrettini or Casper Ruud on Sunday.

Mektic and Pavic, who are 32-3 so far this year, are going for their sixth title of 2021 and third ATP Masters 1000 crown after winning Miami and Monte-Carlo. Granollers and Zeballos are looking to capture their first title of the season after reaching the Acapulco final in March. The pair picked up three crowns in 2020.

The doubles final will take place on Sunday at 3:30pm inside Manolo Santana Stadium.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/doubles ... urday-2021

[Damian]

Mektic/Pavic Weather Day Of Upsets In Rome

Spoiler:

Second seeds reach semi-finals as seventh, eighth seeds fall

On a Friday full of upsets and rainy weather, it was all sunshine for second seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic as they cruised into the semi-finals at the Internazionali d’Italia without dropping a set.

Mektic and Pavic are seeking their third ATP Masters 1000 title of the year in Rome after claiming back-to-back wins at the Miami Open presented by Itau and the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. They arrived in the Italian capital after reaching the championship match at the Mutua Madrid Open, and have lifted five trophies from seven final appearances since teaming up at the start of the season.

The Croatian duo was in full flight against Frenchmen Adrian Mannarino and Benoit Paire, who resumed their occasional partnership this year at Monte-Carlo. Mektic and Pavic converted four of the eight break points they created across 63 minutes to win 6-4, 6-2.

You May Also Like: Splitsville: Why Doubles Break Ups Can Be Smart To Do
Mektic and Pavic held firm throughout a tough opening set, where they saved seven of the eight break points faced and edged ahead with a late break of their own for 5-4. In the second set, the second seeds reeled off five games in a row to seal the victory.

Mektic and Pavic will meet John Peers and Michael Venus in the Rome semi-finals after the Australian-New Zealander team toppled eighth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau 7-6(5), 7-5. Peers and Venus had to save a set point in the first set to take them into a tie-break, where they narrowly escaped with the lead, before breaking through at 6-5 in the second to claim victory.

How To Watch

Marcelo Arevalo and Matwe Middelkoop also sent some seeds crashing out at the Foro Italico with a 2-6, 7-6(3), 10-5 victory over Wesley Koolhof and Jean-Julien Rojer. Arevalo and Middelkoop were down a set and a break to the seventh seeds before they began their comeback. But after battling their way into a Match Tie-break, they quickly took a 5/1 lead and kept their noses in front to triumph after an hour and 43 minutes.

Arevalo and Middelkoop are into their second semi-final of the year after reaching this stage at the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open. They await the winner of fourth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, the Madrid champions, and Australian Open finalists Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, the fifth seeds.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mektic- ... les-friday

[Damian]

Ram/Salisbury Double Duty Sets Mektic/Pavic Final

Spoiler:

Fifth seeds seeking first title of the season in Rome

Australian Open finalists Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury claimed two victories on Saturday to book their place in the Internazionali BNL d’Italia final, where they will face second seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic for their first trophy of the year.

The fifth seeds were set to take on Mutua Madrid Open champions Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos on Friday, but heavy rain halted play before they could take the court. As a result, they faced the prospect of having to play their quarter-final and semi-final matches on the same day – but they stayed focussed to reach their second tour-level final of the season.

You May Also Like: Mektic/Pavic Weather Day Of Upsets In Rome
In the quarter-finals, Ram and Salisbury had to weather a mid-match surge from Granollers and Zeballos, who saved all five break points they faced. But Ram and Salisbury were decisive in the first-set tie-break and Match Tie-break to claim a 7-6(3), 3-6, 10-2 victory in an hour and 48 minutes.

After suitable rest, the fifth seeds hit the court again to face Marcelo Arevalo and Matwe Middelkoop. This time, it was Ram and Salisbury who bossed the break points, saving all three en route to a 6-4, 6-4 victory to book a spot in the final.

Their opponents Mektic and Pavic are the No. 1 team in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings and boast a 36-4 record since teaming up for the first time at the start of the season.

How To Watch

They have not dropped a set all week en route to their fourth ATP Masters 1000 final after back-to-back victories at the Miami Open presented by Itau and the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. They became the first team since Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (2014, 2018) to reach the first four finals at this level in a single season since the series started in 1990.

Mektic and Pavic were made to work for that record, narrowly edging John Peers and Michael Venus 7-6(5), 7-6(4) over an hour and 41 minutes.

The Croatians own a 1-0 lead in the FedEx ATP Head2Head against Ram and Salisbury, winning 6-3, 7-6(5) over the American-British duo in the Miami semi-finals.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mektic- ... s-saturday

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Damian]

Mektic/Pavic Win Sixth Trophy Of Season In Rome

Spoiler:

Croatians have reached all four ATP Masters 1000 finals this year

Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic powered their way to a sixth trophy — and third ATP Masters 1000 crown — of the season on Sunday with victory in the Internazionali BNL d'Italia final.

The second seeds completed the week without dropping a set after a 6-4, 7-6(4) win over fifth seeds Rajeev Ram of the United States and Briton Joe Salisbury in 84 minutes at the Foro Italico in Rome.

“It feels great and we’re very happy with the way we played the whole tournament,” said Pavic. “We didn’t drop a set, so it showed how well we played throughout the week. It was a tough match. There were only a couple of chances in the first set before it became tighter in the second set from 6/0 to 6/4 [in the tie-break]. I hope we can keep going.

"The goal is to qualify for the [Nitto] ATP Finals in Turin. I was hoping we’d have good results, but it has surprised me a little bit as we hadn’t played together before this year.”

Mektic added, “Mate hit some good returns in the tie-break. It was a tough second set and we struggled with the return, as this court is a little faster than the other courts. It’s been an amazing year, but we expected to do well [at the start of the year].”

Mektic and Pavic, who follow in the footsteps of compatriot Goran Ivanisevic, who won the 1991 Rome doubles title with Italian Omar Camporese, are now 6-2 in 2021 championship matches.

Mektic, 32, and Pavic, 27, who are No. 1 in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings with a 37-4 match record this year, also clinched titles at the Antalya Open (d. Dodig/Polasek), Murray River Open in Melbourne (d. Chardy/Martin), ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam (d. Krawietz/Tecau), the Miami Open presented by Itau and Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (d. Evans/N. Skupski both times).

A lack of first serves cost Ram in the fifth game of the first set, with Mektic and Pavic breaking serve after three consecutive return winners. Ram and Salisbury made life a little uncomfortable for Pavic, when he served for the set at 5-4, but the 27-year-old held his nerve on a Deciding Deuce point. Mektic and Pavic won 90 per cent of their first-service points in the 33-minute opener.

When Pavic hit a routine forehand volley wide at 15/15 on Ram’s serve at 2-2 in the second set, the momentum started to shift. Ram and Salisbury returned better and later Pavic did well to recover from 0/30 at 5-6. The Croatians hit their first serves in a strong start to the tie-break and while Ram and Salisbury won four straight points from an 0/6 deficit, Mektic closed out with an ace.

Ram and Salisbury, who lost to Mektic and Pavic 6-3, 7-6(5) in the Miami semi-finals last month, are now 17-8 in their third season as a team. They had been attempting to capture their fourth crown (2019 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, 2019 Erste Bank Open in Vienna, 2020 Australian Open).

Last week, Mektic and Pavic were beaten in the Mutua Madrid Open final by Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mektic- ... bles-final

[Bombardiero]

Marach & Pavic Top Seeds: Mate Pavic has dominated the doubles circuit this year alongside Nikola Mektic. The Croatians have won six titles in 2021, including three at Masters 1000 events. But for this week, Pavic will reunite with Oliver Marach. The pair claimed six trophies together, including a victory at the 2018 Australian Open. They are the top seeds in Geneva.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/geneva- ... ing-report

[Kamileki]

Mektic/Pavic Going For No. 7: The top seeds in the doubles draw, Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, will try to lift their seventh ATP Tour trophy of the season together this week. They will face a tough opening test against Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar, this year's Delray Beach and Marbella champions. Other teams to watch in Eastbourne include Colombian stars Juan Sebastian Cabal/Robert Farah and third seeds Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/eastbou ... ing-report

[Nando]