Venus and Puetz win first ATP title together

Michael Venus and his new German partner Tim Puetz have won their first doubles title together at the ATP 500 tournament in Hamburg. Venus and Puetz the second seeds have beaten top seeded German Kevin Krawietz and his Romanian partner Horia Tecau in the decider.

In just their third tournament together since joining forces after the French Open in June, Venus and Puetz have won 6-3 6-7 (3) 10-8 in one hour and 41 minutes. For Venus it’s his 15^th career doubles title. It should have been over much sooner with Venus and Puetz twice having served for the second set after they surged to a 5-1 lead. But after first Puetz was broken, Venus who had been strong on serve all match was stunned in his next service game at 5-3, broken to love and the match was suddenly back on serve. Momentum was with the top seeds and after taking the second set to a tie break, they won it easily and the match went to a deciding match tie break.

Venus and Puetz got off to a cracking start winning the first point off Krawietz and getting to 3-0. They never trailed although gave up the mini break a couple of times before Venus won two crucial service points to bring up a series of match points at 9-6. After Tecau won both his service points Puetz closed out the match.

Already the decision by Venus to split form Australian John Peers after Roland Garros looks justified. In three tournaments together Venus and Puetz have reached a semi final on grass at Halle and have now won a big clay court tournament. While they lost in the first round at Wimbledon, the signs are encouraging.

Venus will now head to Tokyo where he will link up with the New Zealand team for the Olympics. Venus is playing doubles with Marcus Daniell in Tokyo.

 Meanwhile Erin Routliffe and her Belgian doubles partner Kimberley Zimmerman have lost their semi-final 7-6 (4) 6-3 against the Swiss pair of Susan Bandecchi and Simona Waltert at the WTA tournament in Lausanne in Switzerland. Routliffe and Zimmerman now head to Palermo in Italy for this week’s WTA tournament.

And Ajeet Rai and his Australian doubles partner Jeremy Beale lost their doubles final in Monastir in Tunisia against the top seeds, Frenchman Arthur Bouquier and Argentina’s Santiago Fa Rodriguez Taverna 5-7, 6-4, 10-7.

 Kiwi Artem Sitak is back in action on the ATP Tour this week in Umag in Croatia playing with Venezuela’s Luis David Martinez. They have been drawn against Croatian twins Ivan Sabanov and Matej Sabanov in the first round.