Murray/Soares Battle Into Quarter-Finals

In 2016, Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares finished runner-up at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. This year, the British-Brazilian duo are on a mission to go one step further.

Murray and Soares secured a tight 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 10-8 victory over Ivan Dodig and Edouard Roger-Vasselin on Wednesday, needing two hours and five minutes to prevail. The third seeds saved all three break points faced to move into the quarter-finals. Having also saved three match points in their opening victory on Sunday, the duo have won back-to-back Match Tie-breaks to kick off their campaign.

Also advancing on Wednesday were second seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, following a 7-6(8), 6-4 win over Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez. Kubot and Melo dismissed the Spaniards after one hour and 47 minutes, saving seven of 10 break points faced. The Polish-Brazilian duo are looking to add a fifth piece of ATP Masters 1000 silverware to their collection, all at different tournaments.

Meanwhile, Nikola Mektic continued his winning ways in Masters 1000 events, improving to 8-1 this year. He teamed with countryman Franko Skugor for a 3-6, 6-3, 10-4 comeback win over Karen Khachanov and Feliciano Lopez. The Indian Wells champion alongside Horacio Zeballos, Mektic is targeting a second title at the level this year.

Other results include Zeballos and Maximo Gonzalez moving into the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 upset of fifth seeds and last year’s finalists Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic. The Argentine duo lifted the trophy in Buenos Aires in February. And Dutch duo Robin Haase and Wesley Koolhof advanced with a 6-7(8), 6-4, 10-8 win over German brothers Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev. They are in fine form after stunning top seeds and 2016 champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in straight sets in the first round.

Did You Know?
There is guaranteed to be a first-time Monte-Carlo doubles champion this year, following Herbert and Mahut’s defeat.