Aussie John Peers hasn't missed a beat despite changing partners to start 2016. After parting ways with Jamie Murray, Peers has found a smooth transition with Finland's Henri Kontinen. Peers-Kontinen opened the season by winning the men's doubles title at the Brisbane International on Sunday.
Peers-Kontinen Polish Off Perfect Opening Week
John Peers left a successful partnership with Britain's Jamie Murray to pair up with Henri Kontinen this season. So far, the choice of his new partner looks like a perfect one. Peers and Kontinen defeated Aussies James Duckworth and Chris Guccione 7-6 (4), 6-1 to claim their first title together in Brisbane. It took Peers-Kontinen just 63 minutes to secure the win as they converted three of nine break chances off their Aussie competitors. The second seeds again took care of their own service games very well as they were broken just once on two break chances. Peers-Kontinen won 83 percent of their first serve points in the match.
For Peers, it is back-to-back Brisbane titles, winning the 2015 trophy alongside Murray. Kontinen claimed his sixth doubles title in the last 12 months. For the week, Peers-Kontinen won all four matches in straight sets. Following the match, Peers told the ATP website that he was excited to start the new season with this result, "It's a great step in the right direction for Henri and I to start off the way we did. We put in four really solid matches and did really well. It's really promising for us as a team and we're looking forward to 2016."
Chennai Championship Goes To Marach-Martin
Third seeds Oliver Marach and Fabrice Martin claimed the Aircel Chennai Open men's doubles title 6-3, 7-5 over Benoit Paire and Austin Krajicek. The Austrian-French combination were dominant in the match with Marach ruling play at the net. After a string of service holds through the first seven games of the opening set, Marach-Martin scored the decisive break in the 8th game on a Marach return to go ahead 5-3.
The the second set, it was the fourth game that seemed to turn the tide. Paire delivered two marvelous winners to help Paire-Krajicek get the break and a 3-1 lead. That lead would hold to a 5-3 advantage with Paire serving for the set. The Frenchman was unable to close the set out through as he double faulted twice with Marach-Martin pulling back on serve at 5-4. From there, the third seeds would run out the match as they won the final three games with Marach finishing things off with an ace. For Marach, it is his 14th career ATP doubles title and first since 2014. Martin nets his first one.
Hobart International Doubles Results
Hobart, Australia is the site of one of two WTA tournaments this week. Doubles play opened with third seeded sisters Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok ousting Klara Koukalova and Demi Schuurs 6-3, 6-3. The only other opening round match on Sunday saw Aussies Kimberly Birrell and Jarmila Wolfe edge past Kateryna Bondarenko and Tatjana Maria 6-4, 6-4. The two winning teams on Sunday face each other in the quarterfinals.
Second Seeds Survive in Sydney
The Chans, Hao-Ching and Yung-Jan, scored their first win of 2016 on Suday as they survived a tough opening match against Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Raquel Atawo. The Chans slipped past Groenefeld-Atawo 7-5, 4-6, 10-7. The Chinese pair had lost to Atawo and Alize Cornet in the opening round last week in Brisbane. The Chans are seeded second this week behind the number one ranked team of Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza. Hingis-Mirza carry a 26 match win streak into the tournament.
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