Top Seeds Koolhof/Skupski Reach Indian Wells Final

After collecting seven team titles in 2022, Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski will compete for their first crown of this season at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

On Friday, the Dutch-British duo won 22 of 31 points off their first delivery to survive Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-3, 4-6, 10-5 in the semi-finals at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Top seeds Koolhof and Skupski will compete in their first final of 2023 after earning three Masters 1000 titles last season: Madrid, Montreal, and Paris.

Koolhof and Skupski will next meet Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden, who saved all nine break points faced to edge defending champions John Isner and Jack Sock 7-6(6), 7-6(2).

The Indian-Australian duo captured Friday’s semi-final without seeing a break point of their own and kept a high level to win two tie-breaks. Bopanna and Ebden have been enjoying a strong start to the year, including winning the ATP 500 event in Dubai and a runner-up finish in Rotterdam.

The BNP Paribas Open men’s doubles final will be held Saturday not before 5 p.m. local time.