Venus and Peers bow out in Rome semis

Michael Venus and his Australian doubles partner John Peers have lost a tight semi-final at the Rome Masters overnight.

The world number 12 ranked Kiwi and his Australian doubles partner have been beaten 7-6 (4) 7-6 (6) in 1 hour 49 by 4^th seeds Marcel Granollers of Spain and Argentine Horacio Zeballos.

As the score suggests there was little between the two pairs who both served extremely well. Granollers and Zeballos converted their only break point chance in Peer’s first service game. The Argentine lost his opening service game in the fourth game of the match and there were no further breaks.

Zeballos and Granollers will face the French pair of Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin for the title while Venus and Peers head to Hamburg for one final event before Roland Garros. They have been drawn against Peers former long-time partner Henri Kontinen whom they beat in Rome when the Finn was playing with Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff. In Hamburg Kontinen has teamed with Italian singles star Fabio Fognini in what will be an extremely dangerous combination.