Koolhof/Kubot Advance In Rotterdam Doubles; Mektic/Pavic Keep Winning

Third seeds Wesley Koolhof and Lukasz Kubot recovered from a slow start to overcome all-Japanese team Ben McLachlan and Kei Nishikori 7-5, 3-6, 10-6 on Tuesday at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.

Koolhof and Kubot, who recovered from a 0-3 deficit in the first set, improved to a 4-2 record on the 2021 season and now play Frenchmen Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin in the Rotterdam second round.

Later on day two, second seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic recorded their 13th win in 14 matches this year by beating Dutch wild cards Robin Haase and Matwe Middelkoop 6-2, 7-6(3). Mektic and Pavic’s 12-match winning streak, including back-to-back ATP Tour titles at the Antalya Open (d. Dodig/Polasek) and the Murray River Open (d. Chardy/Martin), came to an end last month in the Australian Open semi-finals (l. to Dodig/Polasek).

They will next challenge Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Jan-Lennard Struff, who scraped past Felix Auger-Aliassime and Hubert Hurkacz 6-7(5) 6-3, 10-8.