BARCLAYS TENNIS – DEFENDING WORLD TOUR FINALS DOUBLES CHAMPIONS CURRENTLY ON THE OUTSIDE OF 2016 LONDON 02 ARENA

Written by: Staff on 5th October 2016

BARCLAYS TENNIS - DEFENDING WORLD TOUR FINALS DOUBLES CHAMPIONS CURRENTLY ON THE OUTSIDE OF 2016 LONDON 02 ARENA

epa05028607 Britain's Andy Murray (R) in action against Spain's David Ferrer (L) during their singles Ilie Nastase group match at the ATP Tour tennis finals tournament at the O2 Arena in London, Britain, 16 November 2015. EPA/ANDY RAIN |

By Ricky Dimon

In 2015, Jean-Julien Roger and Horia Tecau won the World Tour Finals and finished as the top-ranked doubles team on the ATP Tour. What a difference a year makes. Roger and Tecau failed to win a Grand Slam title this season and they have captured only one title (Madrid). As such, the duo currently sits in ninth place in the race to London.

The Rio Olympics did not help their bid. Tecau and fellow Romanian Florin Mergea teamed up in Rio, where they earned the silver medal after losing a heartbreaker to Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez in the gold-medal match. In order to prepare for the Olympics, Tecau temporarily split from Rojer to play with Mergea in Bucharest, Stuttgart, Washington, D.C., and Toronto.

Although Rojer and Tecau are back together now to make a late push for London, the Romanian is currently sidelined by a foot injury. He has withdrawn from next week’s Shanghai Masters and hopes to return later this month in Stockholm.

With Tecau out, the team of Max Mirnyi and Treat Huey and the team of Henri Kontinen and John Peers are clinging to the last two World Tour Finals spots. Mirnyi and Huey lost in the China Open first round this week to Guido Pella and Paolo Lorenzi. Contenders Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin are currently in the Beijing quarterfinals, while Bob and Mike Bryan are one win away from facing Nadal and Pablo Carreno Busta in the semis.

At the Japan Open, meanwhile, London hopefuls Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah are going up against the second-ranked pairing of Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares in the quarterfinals. Murray and Soares, who won both the Australian Open and the U.S. Open, can pass Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut for No. 1 in the race if they reach the Tokyo final.

Top 8

1. Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut: 7,075 points.

2. Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares: 6,800 points.

3. Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan: 5,530 points.

4. Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo: 4,130 points.

5. Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez: 3,9990 points.

6. Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram: 3,300 points.

7. Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi: 3,065 points.

8. Henri Kontinen and John Peers: 2,710 points.

Next 4

9. Jean-Julien Roger and Horia Tecau: 2,680 points.

10. Oliver Marach and Fabrice Martin: 2,105 points.

11. Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin: 2,100 points.

12. Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea: 2,100 points.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Horia Tecau (L) celebrates with doubles partner Jean-Julien Rojer (R) after winning the doubles final match at the ATP Tour tennis finals tournament at the O2 Arena in London, Britain, 22 November 2015. EPA/ANDY RAIN

Topics: 10sballs.com, Atp World Tour, Bryan Brothers, Doubles tennis, Edouard Roger-Vasselin, Florin Mergea, Horia Tecau, Jean-Julien Roger, Julien Benneteau, London, Marc Lopez, Max Mirnyi, Nicolas Mahut, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Rafa Nadal, Ricky Dimon, Sports, Tennis News, Treat Huey, World Tour Finals

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10sBalls_com says:

October 5, 2016 at 1:31 pm

Barclays #Tennis – Defending #WorldTourFinals Doubles Champions Currently On The Outside Of 2016 London 02 Arena… https://t.co/P9fMIMRf0B
loveyjergens says:

October 5, 2016 at 3:18 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: Barclays #Tennis – Defending #WorldTourFinals Doubles Champions Currently On The Outside Of 2016 London 02 Arena
https://…