L16: Jürgen Melzer & Edouard Roger-Vasselin (AUT/FRA) CR 55 (35+20) vs (WC) Daniel Evans & Oliver Marach (AUT) CR 173 (146+27)
L16: Jamie Murray & Neal Skupski CR 51 (25+26) vs (WC) Dennis Novak & Dominic Thiem (AUT/AUT) CR 538 (430+108) L16: Grigor Dimitrov & Stan Wawrinka (BUL/SUI) CR 1072 (803+269) vs (2) Rajeev Ram (USA) & Joe Salisbury CR 16 (9+7)
Interesting choice of partner for Dan. Marach is now 40, but a vastly experienced doubles player.
I believe Dodig has covid, as does Cabal. Hence farah and marach playing with different partners. Possibly Tecau also, although not sure on if its covid or some other thing...
It seems super late on to be splitting? Or are they just splits because of covid?
I think dodig and polasek and Marach and klaasen both felt the o2 was out of reach. From memory, once we get to Paris and Basel, vienna, we see a few splits as o2 chance is gone and they start to look at next season.
As well as Bambo and Maclachlan splitting, Arevalo is playing with other partners so his pairing with jonny could be over.
Be interesting to see if that's correct and also future of Ken and Gonzalez.
It is a shame that the organisers couldn't find space Ugo. I think Dan took preference as his ranking was higher at the entry / cut off date. I thought there were normally 2 SEs though? But I'm really not an expert here, perhaps there are 2 SEs at bigger events.
It is a shame that the organisers couldn't find space Ugo. I think Dan took preference as his ranking was higher at the entry / cut off date. I thought there were normally 2 SEs though? But I'm really not an expert here, perhaps there are 2 SEs at bigger events.
For whatever reasons there was just one SE place here, and yes Dan no doubt got it when he reached the Antwerp SF, due to being higher on the Vienna entry list than Ugo.
Actually I didn't think SEs normally applied when moving on to higher rated tournaments, eg. ATP 250 to ATP 500, which would have neant no SE spots ar all. But that may be wrong or maybe they are adapting rules a bit in these strange times.
L16: Jürgen Melzer & Edouard Roger-Vasselin (AUT/FRA) CR 55 (35+20) vs (WC) Daniel Evans & Oliver Marach (AUT) CR 173 (146+27)
L16: Jamie Murray & Neal Skupski CR 51 (25+26) vs (WC) Dennis Novak & Dominic Thiem (AUT/AUT) CR 538 (430+108) L16: Grigor Dimitrov & Stan Wawrinka (BUL/SUI) CR 1072 (803+269) vs (2) Rajeev Ram (USA) & Joe Salisbury CR 16 (9+7)
Interesting choice of partner for Dan. Marach is now 40, but a vastly experienced doubles player.
Note, if not being aware of the significance of SC leaving mo space between the two ties, that the winners of Jamie & Neal's and Rajeev & Joe's L16 matches will meet in the QF.
Meanwhile, Purcell & Saville ( the mailn immediate rivals to Jamie & Neal for the race #8 spot ) are the #2 seeds in ATP 250 Nur Sultan.