Gille/Vliegen Upset Kubot/Melo In US Open First Round

Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen caused a big upset on Wednesday at the US Open when they knocked out second seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 6-2, 6-4 in 84 minutes. The Belgians hit 30 winners, including four aces, to overcome the 2018 finalists.

Third seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, who have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in November, improved to 12-3 on the season after beating Austin Krajicek and Franko Skugor 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3 in just under two hours.

This year’s Australian Open champions advanced to the semi-finals of last week’s Western & Southern Open (l. to Murray/Skupski). Ram and Salisbury now challenge American brothers Christian Harrison and Ryan Harrison, who scraped past Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin 5-7, 7-6(5), 7-5. Chardy and Martin saved one set point at 4-5 in the first set.

Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares converted three of four break points and withstood 41 winners from fifth seeds and 2019 finalists Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory over two hours. Soares partnered Jamie Murray to the 2016 US Open crown (d. Carreno Busta/Garcia-Lopez).

There was another upset when Marcus Daniell and Philipp Oswald defeated seventh seeds Raven Klaasen and Oliver Marach 6-3, 7-6(5) in one hour and 40 minutes. They recovered from 3/5 down in the second-set tie-break and now face Christopher Eubanks and Mackenzie McDonald, who beat Luke Bambridge and Ben McLachlan 6-3, 6-2.

Elsewhere, eighth seeds Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic beat Nikola Cacic and Divij Sharan 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in one hour and 46 minutes. They now play Simone Bolelli and Maximo Gonzalez, who defeated Santiago Gonzalez and Ken Skupski 6-4, 6-3.

from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3lIy82l