South Americans Upset Kontinen/Peers At Wimbledon

Henri Kontinen and John Peers arrived at The Championships with plenty of momentum after capturing the Fever-Tree Championships title, their first as a team on grass, last month. And they appeared set to escape trouble in the first round at the All England Club.

But the third seeds could not complete a two-set comeback at Wimbledon on Thursday. The Argentine-Chilean duo of Maximo Gonzalez and Nicolas Jarry beat Kontinen/Peers 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 8-6.

Defending champions Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo had better luck, ousting home favourites Luke Bambridge and Jonny O’Mara 6-4, 6-3, 7-5. It was a tough test for the No. 2 seeds, as the British duo was fresh off its maiden ATP World Tour title, earned at last week’s Nature Valley International in Eastbourne.

In other action, eighth seeds Nikola Mektic and Alexander Peya beat Jurgen Melzer and Daniel Nestor, who were competing together for the first time, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. No. 13 seeds Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus finished off Aussies Alex Bolt and Lleyton Hewitt 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 in a match that was carried over to Thursday due to rain. Seventh seeds Jack Sock and Mike Bryan, whose twin brother, Bob, is out with a hip injury, advanced when Italians Daniele Bracciali and Andreas Seppi retired down 3-6, 0-2.