Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares continued their dream run in Rio de Janeiro on Friday. The top seeds at the Rio Open scored another straight sets win to gain a spot in the semifinals.
Top Seeds Remain on Collision Course in Rio Men's Draw
The top two seeds in the men's draw at the Rio Open advanced to the semifinals. Top seeds Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares won in straight sets over Dusan Lajovic and Dominic Thiem 6-3, 6-4. They will meet Spaniards David Marrero and Pablo Carreno Busta. The unseeded duo secured their spot with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Rogerio Dutra Silva and Joao Souza. The second seeds had a much more difficult time in getting through their match. Jean-Sebastien Cabal and Robert Farah edged Federico Delbonis and Paolo Lorenzi 6-2, 1-6, 12-10. They face a still challenge in the semifinals from Brazilians Thomaz Bellucci and Marcelo Demoliner. Bellucci-Demoliner whipped Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-5, 6-2.
Pavic-Venus Run Win Streak to Eight in Marseille
The second seeds in Marseille are through to the semifinals with their 8th consecutive victory. Mate Pavic and Michael Venus topped Aliaksandr Bury and Igor Zelenay 6-4, 7-5. Pavic-Venus would break serve five times and rally back from a break down in the second set. The second seeds won the Open Sud de France earlier this month in Montpellier, France and will have a chance at the Open 13 this week.
They take on surprise finalists Jonathan Erlich and Colin Fleming. The unseeded tandem fought their way into the final via a 6-2, 7-6 (3) win over Nick Kyrgios and Temuraz Gabashvili. Erlich-Fleming took advantage in the top half of the draw after top seeds Marc and Feliciano Lopez were upset in the opening round. Their cause was further aided when third seeds Nicolas Mahut and Lucas Pouille withdrew. That left them an easier path to their first final since since winning the Shenzhen Open last October.
Bryans Headed to First Semifinal of 2016 in Delray Beach
In a slow to the season, Bob and Mike Bryan will take any help they can get in getting their season on track. They got just that on Friday as Mikhail Kukushkin and Illya Marchenko pulled out of the doubles draw. That sends the Bryans into their first semifinal of the season. The top seeds will see Leander Paes and Jeremy Chardy on Saturday. The other semifinal is set with third seeds Max Mirnyi and Treat Huey going up against Oliver Marach and Fabrice Martin.
Garcia-Mladenovic Stay in Title Hunt in Dubai
Second seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic advanced to the women's doubles final at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Friday. The French pair took out 4th seeds Timea Babos and Julia Goerges 6-3, 6-4. It is the duo's second WTA final this season. They lost in the Apia International Sydney final to Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis in a 10-5 super tiebreak finish. Garcia-Mladenovic will meet Chia-Jung Chuang and Darija Jurak in the final. Chuang and Jurak bested Sara Errani and Carla Suarez Navarro 5-7, 7-6 (5), 10-7 in the semifinals to claim their spot in the final.
Lone Seeds Remaining Make Their Way to Rio Final
The only seeded pair left in the women's draw will take part in the Rio Open women's doubles final. Fourth seeds Veronica Cepede Royg and Maria Irigoyen won their semifinal over Mariana Duque-Marino and Tatjana Maria in a tumultuous super tiebreak. The fourth seeds survived 6-4, 3-6, 11-9 despite dropping six service points in the final breaker. They were helped by their opponents being a shade worse as they dropped seven service points. Of the 20 points in the super tiebreak, only seven were won on-serve.
Cepede Royg seeks her first WTA doubles title, while Irigoyen looks for her second when they take on Tara Moore and Conny Perrin. Moore-Perrin got a walkover into the final when Alize Lim and Francesca Schiavone withdrew. Both Moore and Perrin will also be seeking their maiden WTA-level doubles titles.