The New Zealand tennis player Michael Venus and his American partner Ryan Harrison have gone through group play unbeaten at the ATP Finals in London.
The French Open champions have beaten US Open champions Dutchman Jean-Julien Rojer and Romanian Horia Tecau in straight sets.
Michael Venus and Ryan Harrison after winning the French Open Men's Doubles final. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The third straight round robin win keeps Harrison and Venus on course to pocket just over 700 thousand dollars should they go through the tournament unbeaten.
After going down an early break, Harrison and Venus won four straight games to clinch the first set in 28 minutes.
Games went with serve until the fifth game when Harrison dropped serve on the back of some ferocious returning from Rojer and Tecau.
Harrison and Venus broke Tecau in the very next game and after Venus held serve, the French Open champs broke Rojer for a 5-3 lead.
Serving for the set, Harrison fended off two break points with two big serves to hold and secure the opener 6-3 in 28 minutes.
It was a tightly contested second set with Venus saving a break point at 3-4.
The set went to a tie breaker with Tecau and Rojer getting on top early and racing to 4-1. But Venus and Harrison stormed back winning six of the next seven points to clinch it 7-6.
Harrison and Venus will only find out who their semi final opponents are tomorrow after the final round robin matches in the other group.
They have been joined in the semis by defending champions Henri Kontinen and John Peers who defeated Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram to secure their place in the last four.
Venus and Harrison received 136 thousand dollars for participating in the tournament plus 52 thousand for each round robin match win.
If they win their semi final they will earn 140 thousand dollars and an additional 274 thousand for winning the tournament.
-RNZ
