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ATP Indian Wells: separate Grand Slam champions, unbeatable Russians

The ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells has not only resulted in surprising semi-final constellations. Everything is possible even in doubles. Especially for two Russians.

by Jens Huiber
last edit: Oct 15, 2021, 02:23 pm

Two veterans flying high: Marcelo Melo and Ivan Dodig
© Getty Images
Two veterans flying high: Marcelo Melo and Ivan Dodig

Until the Olympic Games in Tokyo, it seemed clear: if you want to win a major tournament on the ATP tour as a pair of doubles, you have to be patient until further notice. Because Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic plowed through the individual tableaus as if there were no opponents at eye level. Well, the two Croatians couldn't compete in Roland Garros because of two positive COVID tests. And in Melbourne Mektic / Pavic made a slip in the semifinals against the eventual winners Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek.

After the gold medal in Tokyo, sand got into the mechanism of the dominating double, including in Indian Wells, where Mektic and Pavic were eliminated in the quarter-finals. Against Filip Polasek, who has not been with Ivan Dodig for a few months. But with the Australian veteran John Peers. That doesn't mean that Polasek and Dodig wouldn't run into each other from time to time: Like today in the semi-finals of Indian Wells. Dodig played his way there with Marcelo Melo.

Rublev and Karatsev still undefeated

Everything is also possible in the lower half of the panel. Also and especially for Tim Pütz and partner Michael Venus. The German Davis Cup player and the New Zealand pair skating specialist had to tremble a lot in round one against Carlos Alcaraz and Pablo Carreno Busta, winning with 15:13 in the match tiebreaker. After that, however, there were victories against the US Open champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury and against the Turin aspirants Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau.

In the semifinals, however, a task awaits Pütz / Venus where everyone has been crushed so far: Aslan Karatsev paired with Andrey Rublev . The two Russians rarely double with each other, but then they are irresistible. At the beginning of the year it was enough to win the tournament in Doha, with the success against Rohan Bopanna and Denis Shapovalov Karatsev / Rublev are already in the semi-finals in Indian Wells. And they are still unbeaten.

Here the double tableau in Indian Wells

iwmap

by Jens Huiber

Friday
Oct 15, 2021, 02:55 pm
last edit: Oct 15, 2021, 02:23 pm