Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus will attempt to capture their second title in their sixth tour-level final (1-4 record) on Saturday at the ASB Classic. The pair will play Ben McLachlan and Jan-Lennard Struff in a repeat of last year’s title match at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships.
Third seeds Klaasen and Venus lost just five of their first-service points to end the run of second seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan 6-4, 6-1 in 53 minutes. Bob Bryan, who underwent hip surgery last year, reunited with his twin brother last week in their first tournament for eight months.
McLachlan and Struff knocked out top seeds and defending champions Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic 6-4, 6-7(6), 11-9 in one hour and 46 minutes. Marach and Pavic saved three match points in the second set at 5-5 (deciding point Deuce) and from 4/6 in the tie-break to force a tense finale.
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At the Sydney International, top-seeded Colombians Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah will challenge second seeds and 2016 champions Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares in the final.
Cabal and Farah knocked out Australians Lleyton Hewitt and Jordan Thompson 7-6(7), 7-5 in one hour and 36 minutes. Cabal and Farah, who recovered from a 3/6 deficit in the first set tie-break, have an 11-16 record in tour-level finals.
Murray and Soares, who have a 9-8 record in team finals, defeated British brothers Ken Skupski and Neal Skupski 7-6(4), 5-7, 10-7 in one hour and 37 minutesreadfullarticle
