Koolhof/Skuspki Face Testing Path In Cincinnati

Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski will aim to capture a Tour-leading sixth title of the season and strengthen their lead in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Teams Rankings when they compete at the Western & Southern Open next week.

However, their task won’t be easy in Cincinnati, with the third seeds facing a series of potential testing assignments in a stacked top half. The Dutch-British tandem could face singles star Carlos Alcaraz and Pablo Carreno Busta in their opening match, if the Spaniards can overcome Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Carreno Busta won the doubles title with Alex de Minaur in 2020.

Koolhof and Skupski are on a collision course to meet Roland Garros finalists Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek in the quarter-finals, while they could face Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in the semi-finals.

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The top seeds, who have six tour-level trophies together, including two ATP Masters 1000 titles, could play Australian Open champs Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios in a popcorn second-round clash. Kokkinakis and Kyrgios will open against Simone Bolelli and Fabo Fognini.

Eighth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah are also in the top half and they face a difficult first-round encounter against 2017 winners Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares.

Reigning champions Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos are in the bottom half and will open against singles stars Grigor Dimitrov and Andrey Rublev or Daniel Evans and John Peers.

The second seeds are seeded to meet Roland Garros victors Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer in the semi-finals, with the fourth seeds potentially playing Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the quarter-finals.

#NextGenATP Dane Holger Rune and World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas are teaming, while former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka will join forces with Pole Lukasz Kubot.