Del Potro Scores Doubles Upset
Del Potro Scores Doubles Upset
Argentine teams up with Mayer to oust No. 2 seeds
Juan Martin del Potro’s week in Indian Wells is not over yet. The Argentine teamed up with compatriot Leonardo Mayer to upset No. 2 seeds Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday.
The Tower Of Tandil last played doubles at an ATP World Tour event two years ago, when he and Marin Cilic lost in the first round of Indian Wells to Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic. This time, del Potro found instant chemistry with Mayer, moving in sync with his partner from the baseline to undo Dodig/Melo. The winners did not face a break point and secured victory in 57 minutes.
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Meanwhile, top seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau crashed out in the first round. The Dutch-Romanian pairing fell 7-6(6), 3-6, 10-6 to Lukasz Kubot and Marcin Matkowski. The Polish duo won 75 per cent of first-serve points and broke twice to spring the upset in just under two hours.
Eighth seeds Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Zimonjic ground out a 6-3, 6-7(6) 17-15 win over Czechs Marek Michalicka and Ivo Minar in one hour and 42 minutes. The French-Serbian pair saved four match points in the match tie-break and needed five match points of their own to get the job done.
David Goffin and Joao Sousa posted a 6-1, 4-6, 10-6 win over David Marrero and Bernard Tomic, while veteran pairing Daniel Nestor and Radek Stepanek had a routine 6-3, 6-2 triumph over Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram.
Dominic Inglot and Robert Lindstedt advanced when opponents Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah retired down 6-3, 3-1.