Venus wins first ATP doubles title with Peers

New Zealand’s top ranked doubles player Michael Venus and his Australian partner John Peers have clicked in just their fourth tournament together, winning the ATP 500 tournament in Dubai, the Dubai Duty Free Championships without dropping a set.

Venus and Peers needed just 59 minutes to beat fourth seeds Raven Klaasen and Oliver Marach 6-3 6-2. Klaasen is Venus’s former doubles partner.

They saved both break points they faced and were dominant.

It’s an 11^th Tour level title for Venus. The 32-year-old has lifted a trophy in each of the six seasons since his first title run in Nice in 2015.

“With any new partnership, you don't know how it's going to go till you get out there really, until you get on the court and you start to understand exactly what your partner likes to see in certain situations, how they react to things and that, it takes time to figure those things out,” Venus said.

For Peers its’s his 21^st tour level trophy. The Australian has won at least one trophy for eight consecutive years, dating back to his maiden ATP Tour title in Houston in 2013.

“There is a lot of excitement. I mean, we worked hard the past few months to try to play at this level for a whole tournament. It was really good and pleasing we were able to do that together,” said Peers.

Venus and Peers share US $181,360 in prize money and the Kiwi is projected to climb three places to 11^th in the ATP doubles rankings while the win has lifted the pair to 8^th in the race to qualify for the ATP Finals in London at the end of the season.