The New Zealand tennis player Michael Venus and his American partner Ryan Harrison have become the first team to qualify for the semi finals of the doubles at the ATP Finals in London.
The French Open champions have beaten the 6th seeded French pair of Pierre Hugues-Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in a tie-break for their second straight round robin win.
Michael Venus (right) and Ryan Harrison discuss tactics. Photo: Wimbledon
Venus and Harrison have eliminated winless US Open champions Jean Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau who they meet in their final group match on Friday morning.
Venus and Harrison continued on from their stunning performance against defending Henri Kontinen and John Peers in their opening match on Monday morning, but have to recover from a slow start.
Venus lost his opening service game with the French pair returning serve well and creating opportunities with Mahut particularly lethal at the net.
However the Kiwi/American pair fought back to break Herbert's serve in the 6th game and were two points from the first set at 5-4. But the set went to a tie breaker and after going 3-0 up early, Mahut and Hugues Herbert closed it out 7-4 with the set taking 53 minutes.
The French pair had won a tight semi final against Venus and Harrison at the Cincinnati Masters in August and this was again a very close match.
Venus and Harrison returned well throughout and created a break point opportunity on Herbert's first service game in the second set and Venus put away a volley to take the early ascendency.
At 3-2 Harrison fought back from 0-40 to hold, saving four break points. They went on to close out the second set in 39 minutes.
The match went to a deciding Super tie break with Venus and Harrison storming back from 3-0 down to win nine straight points and giving them six match points. They converted on their third match point for a memorable victory in one hour and 40 minutes.
Venus and Harrison received 136 thousand dollars for participating in the tournament plus 52 thousand for each round robin match win.
If they go through the tournament unbeaten they will share 700 thousand dollars.
