ATP: Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic close 2018 as number one pair

Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic will be waving from the top of the ATP world rankings at the end of the 2018 season. The Austrian-Croatian pair will not be able to catch up after entering the semi-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Paris Bercy.

The decision was made narrowly and not unhappily: In the end Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic were allowed to leave Court 1 in the former Palais Omnisports in Paris-Bercy as winners. The affair against John Isner and Neal Skupski had lasted almost two hours, Marach/Pavic won 7:6 (6), 4:7 (4) and 12:10. In the semi-final on Saturday, the Styrian and his Croatian partner will meet Marcel Granollers and Rajeev Ram in the semi-final, who had won against Marcelo Melo and Lukasz Kubot.

However, as the pairing Marach/Pavic has moved into the preliminary round, it is certain that they will finish the 2018 season with the most points. Although Mike Bryan is in the lead of the ATP Double World Ranking, as a team no duo has achieved more points than Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic, who won the Australian Open in Melbourne earlier this year.

“It was an incredible year,” Marach said at the last ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the year. “We started with three tournament victories, were in the fourth final, that was really amazing. We’ve played solid tennis all year round, reached a Grand Slam final in Roland Garros, and now we’re back in the semi-finals here in Paris. We are very happy.”

Last time in Vienna Marach/Pavic had failed Mike Bryan and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the preliminary round, in Paris-Bercy the US legend plays again with Jack Sock. A meeting with Marach and Pavic would only be possible in the final.

Here the double tableau in Paris-Bercy