Koolhof/Skupski Advance To Wimbledon Third Round

Top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski produced a strong serving performance Monday to reach the third round of Wimbledon.

The Dutch-British duo defeated Australian Open champions Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler 7-6(3), 6-2 after winning 31 of 35 first-serve points and not facing a break point throughout the one-hour, 20-minute contest.

Koolhof and Skupski, who won the ATP 250 event in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, will next meet another Aussie duo, Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson. Last year, the 25-year-old Purcell teamed with Matthew Ebden to win the Wimbledon men’s doubles title.

In other action, sixth seeds Ebden and Rohan Bopanna defeated Jacob Fearnley and Johannus Monday 7-5, 6-3. Fourth seeds Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski moved past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Adrian Mannarino 7-6(3), 6-4. Robert Galloway and Lloyd Harris rallied to upset second seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek 6-7(5), 7-6(3), 6-1.

Fifth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin ousted British wild cards Toby Samuel and Connor Thomson 6-3, 7-6(4). The 2021 Wimbledon champions Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic survived Francisco Cabral and Rafael Matos 7-5, 7-6(3).