Murrays, Tsitsipas/Kyrgios Face Early Tests In Washington Doubles

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nick Kyrgios will share a court on the ATP Tour for the first time in Citi Open doubles action next week, where they will meet top seeds and Wimbledon champions Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in a loaded draw at the ATP 500 event.

The talented duo, which owns a combined eight tour-level singles trophies, will aim to end Cabal and Farah’s 10-match tour-level winning streak in the American capital. In their two most recent appearances, Cabal and Farah lifted back-to-back trophies on grass at the Nature Valley International and Wimbledon to rise to No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings.

The winner of that encounter will face wild cards Leander Paes and Jack Sock or Aussie duo Alex de Minaur and John Peers in the quarter-finals. Peers lifted the trophy in 2017 alongside Henri Kontinen.

In the second quarter of the draw, four-time champions Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan will open their campaign for a fifth title against Treat Huey and Denis Kudla. The winning pair will meet 2014 champions Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau or Mate Pavic and 2018 titlist Bruno Soares in the last eight.

Bruno Soares’ partner en route to the 2018 trophy, Jamie Murray, appears in Washington with a familiar partner. The 23-time tour-level champion is joined by his brother, Andy Murray, for the first time since September 2016.

The Murray brothers open their campaign for a third team title against Wimbledon finalists Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. Andy and Jamie own two ATP Tour doubles crowns as a pairing, following title runs at 2010 Valencia and 2011 Tokyo. Roland Garros champions Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies also feature in the third quarter, where they will face 2018 Nitto ATP Finals qualifiers Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus.

The fourth quarter is headlined by two teams battling for a place at this year’s showpiece event at The O2 in London. Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, currently third in the ATP Doubles Race To London, will meet ninth-placed Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury. Potential second-round opponents Nikola Mektic and Franko Skugor, who lifted the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters title in April, will meet the winning pairing from qualifying in their opening match.