McLachlan set to crack $US1m

QUEENSTOWN doubles specialist Ben McLachlan has had a busy start to the year and could crack the $US1 million ($1.4 million) mark this month.

McLachlan, who represents Japan — his mother comes from the country — represented his adopted nation at the ATP Team Cup in Melbourne last week.

He played in the doubles and came away with a win and a loss. Each team had two singles players and a doubles combination.

McLachlan, who was born in Queenstown and still lives there, teamed up with Yoshihito Nishioka to beast a Russian doubles pair, but then went down to an Argentinian duo, with Japan failing to get out of the pool.

McLachlan is now playing at the Australia Open and will team up with veteran Indian Rohan Bopanna. Bopanna (40) has been playing on the tour for many years and has been ranked in the top five in doubles, although he is now down to a still respectable

38.

Bopanna’s regular partner, Joao Sousa, of Portugal, was forced out of the Open after he caught Covid 19.

McLachlan (28) had been playing with South African Raven Klaasen, but the veteran South African had also caught Covid19 and although he has recovered there was simply not enough time for him to travel from South Africa to Melbourne.

McLachlan and Bopanna, who have never played regularly together, will take on Korean pair Nam JiSung and MinKyu Song today.

McLachlan, who reached the semifinals of the doubles at the Australian Open in 2018, has made $US957,572 in prizemoney and a decent performance in Melbourne over the next couple of days could get him to the magic $US1 million mark. McLachlan is ranked 48 in doubles.