Michael Venus a champion again winning 13th ATP doubles title

New Zealand’s top doubles player Michael Venus and his Australian partner John Peers have captured their third ATP doubles title of the year together. The second seeded Kiwi and Australian have won the European Open in Antwerp final with a 6-3 6-4 win over India’s Rohan Bopanna and Dutchman Matwe Middelkoop.

It was another fine performance from Venus and Peers who didn’t drop a set during the tournament. They got off to a flying start breaking Bopanna in the second game of the match and again in the 6^th game as Venus and Peers raced to a 5-1 first set lead.

But Peers was broken which left Venus to serve out the set which he did after saving a break point and then winning the deciding point.

It was a tighter second set with both teams having early break point chances, but games went with serve until the 9^th game when Middelkoop was broken and Venus served out the match.

It’s the Kiwis 13^th ATP doubles title and his third with Peers this year following their wins in the ATP 500 tournaments in Dubai and Hamburg. Venus is projected to climb two spots to equal his career high of eight in the ATP doubles rankings this week.

Venus and Peers have improved their season record to 21-8 and the Kiwi has improved to 13-wins in 27 Championship finals.

Venus and Peers have flown straight to Vienna for the ATP 500 tournament there where they have been drawn against French Open champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies in the first round.

Venus and Peers are extremely close to confirming their place in the ATP Finals in London. They sit sixth in the race and have the tournament in Vienna and next week’s Paris Masters to qualify for the elite eight team field for London.