Kontinen/Peers Advance To Shanghai Final

Henri Kontinen and John Peers will play for their first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 team title after advancing to the Shanghai Rolex Masters final in straight sets on Saturday.

The Finnish/Australian duo claimed 81 per cent of their first-serve points and saved four of five break points to dismiss Croatians Marin Cilic and Mate Pavic 6-3, 6-4 in 69 minutes. Kontinen/Peers will play for their fourth title of the season on Sunday in Shanghai.

The team has gone undefeated in finals this season, hoisting trophies in Brisbane, Munich and Hamburg so far this year. They will face an American pairing in the final, either John Isner and Jack Sock or second seeds Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan.

Saturday’s first doubles semi-final looked as if it were headed to a second-set tie-break. The powerful Cilic was serving at 4-all in the second set. But Kontinen/Peers earned a 0/40 lead on his serve and broke at 30/40 when Peers slapped a return to Cilic’s feet that the 6’6″ Cilic couldn’t handle.

Kontinen/Peers also bolstered their place in the Emirates ATP Doubles Race To London with the win. The team remains in seventh place, but they add 240 points to their total, giving them 3,310 points, 245 ahead of eighth-placed Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi.

Kontinen/Peers have never qualified for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, to be held 13-20 Nov. at The O2 in London. The top eight teams at the end of the regular season will qualify for the prestigious season finale. Peers qualified last year alongside Jamie Murray, but Kontinen is looking to make his London debut.