ATP: Kubot/Melo finishes year as number one

Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo have won their opening match at the ATP World Tour Finals in London, securing the top position in the world ranking at the end of the season.

The Polish-Brazilian pairing won their first group match against Croatian Ivan Dodig and Spaniard Marcel Granollers 7-6 (2), 6-4,”I am speechless,” Kubot said after the match. I’m grateful to all those who have tickled the best out of us.”

“This year was outstanding for Lukasz and me,”said Melo, who played with Dodig on the tour last year, joining his partner,”This is the first full year we have played together. “We’ve played every tournament together, and finishing the year as the best team means the world to me.”

Kubot/Melo won six titles this season – more than any other doubles on the Tour. Especially in the grass season, the team was unbeatable: they not only won the Ricoh Open in s’ Hertogenbosch and the Gerry Weber Open in Halle, but also beat Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic in the final of Wimbledon and won their first Grand Slam tournament.

In the Woodbrige/Woodford group’s parallel game, brothers Bob and Mike Bryan won against Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares. The four-time final winners will face Kubot/Melo on Wednesday, while Murray/Soares will fight Dodig/Granollers for their first win.

In Group Eltingh/Haarhuis the reigning French Open champions Ryan Harrison and Michael Venus lead in front of the French pairing Pierre-Hugues Herbert/Nicolas Mahut. Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau lost their first match, as did last year’s winners Henri Kontinen and Jonathan Peers.