Venus on the rise thanks to belief

Kiwi and his American partner extend Wimbledon doubles run

Kiwi tennis ace Michael Venus has found a little selfbelief can go a long way . . . all the way to the Wimbledon doubles quarterfinals.

Venus and American partner Ryan Harrison, seeded 10th, have overcome sixseeded Croatian Ivan Dodig and Spaniard Marcel Granollers 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (7-9), 6-3 in a three-hour thirdround thriller to continue their run at the All England Tennis and Croquet Club in London yesterday.

While the nation was focused on America’s Cup sailing and the British and Irish Lions rugby tour in the past month, Venus and Harrison snuck under the radar for victory at the French Open, the first Kiwi Grand Slam win since Judy Connor’s Australian Open doubles title in 1979.

That result has catapulted the pair into the top echelon of doubles exponents — they are now the sixth-ranked combination in the world, with Venus 15th individually.

If they can maintain that standing, Venus and Harrison are in line for the ATP Finals in London, from November 12-19, an event that brings together the top eight teams over the year.

While the Roland Garros breakthrough has significantly raised expectations, it also seems to have increased the pair’s confidence levels to be able to fight back from any situation.

They struggled early against Dodig and Granollers, and then allowed their opponents to take momentum into the fifth and deciding set by conceding a fourth-set tiebreak. Somehow, Venus and Harrison found a way back.

“Right now, it seems, no matter what the score or what else is happening, we keep making adjustments that we need to do and trying to find a way that will work,” Venus said. “Every pair you play, it’s going to be different, and you have to figure out what’s working on that day for you and what works against them.

“It’s a little bit of trial and error at times, and some days, it takes longer to figure out.”

Part of that, too, is building a level of comfort within the partnership. The duo first hooked up at Budapest in April, won at Estoril the following week and then captured the French crown in their fourth outing together. Initially, Harrison planned to bypass the grasscourt doubles circuit to focus on singles, but reconsidered after the clay success.

“We’re just taking it one match at a time, trying to find a way in each match and letting the points take care of themselves,” Venus said.

“If we keep focusing on the things we’re doing right and the things we can control, then hopefully, we’ll accumulate enough points that, at the end of the year, we’ll be in the finals.”

Next up, they take on topseeded Finn Henri Kontinen and Aussie John Peers, the Australian Open champions.

Venus is also still alive in mixed doubles, combining with Czech Barbora Krejcˇ´ıkova´ to reach the third round, where they will face second-seeded Brazilian Bruno Soares and Russian Elena Vesnina.