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Ken & Neal Skupski
Ken & Neal Skupski | Photo by Ryan Browne/REX/Shutterstock

Ken & Neal Skupski claim maiden ATP Tour doubles title

Glenys Furness
Tennis

By Glenys Furness

  • Skupski Brothers claim maiden ATP tour title together
  • Defeat second and fourth seeds
MONTPELLIER, FRANCE – Ken & Neal Skupski claimed the ATP 250 title, their first main tour title together. The brothers defeated the second and fourth seeds en route.

 

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Ken & Neal Skupski went into Montpellier on the back of winning the ATP Challenger title in Quimper, and the Brits were unseeded and drew the second seeds in the first round. Dom Inglot & Marcus Daniell forced both sets into tiebreaks. In the first the Skupski brothers dominated whilst Inglot & Daniell were unable to score more than one point. The second set tiebreak was closer, but ultimately Ken & Neal overcame the Brit/Kiwi pairing to move into the next round 7-6(1), 7-6(7)

In the quarter-final the Brits were against an all French pairing of Jeremy Chardy & Fabrice Martin. The brothers managed to get the vital break in the first set and never looked back. The second set was only slightly closer as the Brits again broke the serve of Chardy & Martin to book their place in the semi-final 6-3, 6-4.

The semi-final saw the Skupski brothers against another all French pairing, this time Tristan Lamasine & Lucas Pouille. The Brits had a tough first set, and after being forced into a tiebreak found themselves a set down as Lamasine & Pouille edged it. In the second set however, the Brits were able to get a break on the French serve and levelled up the match. A match tiebreak would decide the finalists, the Skupski brothers came comfortably through to book a final spot 6-7(5), 6-4, 10-5

In the final the Brits were against Ben Mclachlan & Hugo Nys the fourth seeds. The seeds got the better start and broke the Brits early, however the Skupski brothers pulled it back and forced a tiebreak which once again they dominated. The second set was much easier for the brothers and the Brits got the break needed to secure their maiden ATP tour title together 7-6(2), 6-4.

Ken Skupski now has four ATP tour titles to his name, two of his previous were with Colin Fleming and the third with Robin Haase. The last of these titles came back in 2011.

 

 

Doubles Round up

Luke Bambridge & Joe Salisbury lost in the final of San Francisco 6-3, 6-7(5), 10-7

Brydan Klein with Rubin Statham lost in the first round of Launceston 6-2, 7-6(5)

Scott Clayton & Jonny O’Mara lost in the quarter-finals of Budapest 7-5, 7-6(8)

Laura Robson with Valeria Savinykh lost in the final in Launceston 7-6(5), 6-4

Katy Dunne & Gabriella Taylor lost in the quarter-final in Launceston 6-3, 7-6(3)

Next week Brits play in Shrewsbury, Doha, Cherbourg, Buenos Aires.

 

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