Bryans knocked off in doubles opener
Mike and Bob Bryan, the most successful doubles team in the sport’s history, were upset in the opening round of the Memphis Open on Tuesday night by Americans Austin Krajicek and Nicholas Monroe.
The Bryans, 37-yearold identical twins, were unable to convert three match points in the match tiebreak and lost 1- 6, 7- 6 (5), 12-10 to Krajicek and Monroe at The Racquet Club. Krajicek and Monroe, who have a 4-5 team record, reached their first ATP World Tour semifinal last week at Quito (Ecuador).
The Br ya ns own a world-record 109 career titles and have finished as the world’s top-ranked doubles team 10 times, the last in 2014. They won their first title — at the ATP Tour level — in Memphis 15 years ago and had never lost in the first round at The Racquet Club in 11 previous tournaments.
MILLMAN MAKES MOVE
Australian John Millman, the No. 7 seed, needed nearly three hours and all of three sets to oust American Austin Krajicek in an opening-round match Tuesday. Krajicek reached the quarterfinals last year before falling in three sets to top seed and eventual champion Kei Nishikori.
Millman’s 6-3, 6-7 (3), 7-6 win was his sixth of the season, one more than he had last year when he went 5-9 in Tour-level matches.
“I think the back end of last year, the last six months were great,” Mill- man said. “I qualified for Wimbledon and won a round there. I played a few more Tour events at the end of last year and started to win matches there. It starts to give you a lot of belief.”
The momentum carried into this year. Millman, 26, reached the third round of the Australian Open last month and last week advanced to his first ATP Tour quarterfinal in Montpellier, France.
“There hasn’t been a lot of time off; it’s been brutal travel,” Millman said. “But I’m enjoying playing tennis. It’s always fun when you’re playing well and competing well.”
SWISS QUALIFIER ADVANCES
Aided in part by an injury to his opponent, Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland became the second qualifier to move into the second round Tuesday.
Laaksonen, who won two matches last weekend to qualify for the main draw, defeated Australian Matthew Ebden 6-1, 3-0 (retired). Ebden was unable to complete the match because of a left leg injury.
Laaksonen, 23, will play No. 4 seed Sam Querrey, the 2010 Memphis champion, today for an opportunity to reach his first ATP World Tour quarterfinal. His win Tuesday over Ebden was his first at the ATP Tour level since 2014. He joined Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka as the two qualifiers (of four) to reach the second round.
Laaksonen won three matches last year in Davis Cup play and is expected to be a member of this year’s team.