Djokovic Bounces Back, Partners Anderson Past Defending Champs

Four-time Rogers Cup singles champion Novak Djokovic was upset by #NextGenATP Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas on Thursday. But the Serbian got right back out on the court with his recent Wimbledon final opponent, Kevin Anderson, and beat defending champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 to advance to the doubles quarter-finals in Toronto.

“It was definitely great to finish off the day, with a win in doubles after the disappointing match for me today,” Djokovic said.

From 8/2 up in the Match Tie-break, Anderson and Djokovic lost six of the next seven points against the Frenchmen. But the Serbian finished off the match with a forehand winner from the forecourt.

The first-time pairing will look to continue their strong run at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event against first-year duo Nikola Mektic and Alexander Peya, who upset sixth seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares 6-4, 6-4 in 77 minutes.

Mektic and Peya claimed their first team title at this level at the Mutua Madrid Open. They also triumphed earlier in the year in Marrakech, helping them to their current standing of fourth in the ATP Race To London.

There were two other upsets on the day, as Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus beat fifth seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo 6-3, 5-7, 11-9. Americans Sam Querrey and Rajeev Ram also defeated eighth seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 7-5, 4-6, 10-8.

Reigning Wimbledon champions Mike Bryan and Jack Sock led the rest of the day’s winners, along with second seeds Henri Kontinen/John Peers and seventh seeds Jean-Julien Rojer/Horia Tecau.