Granollers/Zeballos Win Leads Dramatic Doubles QF Day In Toronto

With Friday’s doubles action exclusively on the Grandstand at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, fans in Toronto’s second stadium were treated to a nail-biting day of quarter-final matches.

First up, seventh seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos upset fourth seeds Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden 7-5, 6-7(6), 10-8. The Spanish-Argentine team saved both break points against them and won 85 per cent of their first serve points in the dramatic victory, with the pair recovering quickly after losing its first set of the week.

Seeking their eighth tour-level title as a team and their first of 2023, this year’s Wimbledon finalists will meet 2022 Roland Garros champs Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer in Saturday’s semis.

Arevalo/Rojer won a Match Tie-break of their own, edging eighth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-0, 6-7(4), 10-8 on Friday afternoon. Despite a dominant start and five breaks of serve, the El Salvadoran-Dutch pair needed to hold its nerve down the stretch to reach its first ATP Tour semi-final since Geneva in May. 

In the opposite half of the draw, third seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury continued their Toronto run with a 4-6, 6-3, 10-4 win against Max Purcell and Andrey Rublev, surviving 10 aces to advance. They will take on sixth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in the semis after the Germans won the lone straight-sets match of the day, 7-5, 6-3 against Hubert Hurkacz and Mate Pavic.