It's all over for New Zealand's Michael Venus and his Australian doubles partner John Peers at the ATP Tennis Finals in London.
John Peers and Michael Venus Photo: Photosport
Needing to beat top seeds Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares in straight sets to have any chance of reaching the doubles semi-finals, the Antipodean duo have lost 6-7 (2) 6-3 10-8.
It was another agonising defeat for Venus and Peers who again played well but failed to take their chances. They were broken in the opening game of the first set but fought back to take it in a tie break to keep their hopes alive.
However, their tournament was effectively over when they lost the second set and Pavic and Soares clinched the match tie break.
Despite the disappointment for three straight defeats in Group play in London it's been a successful Covid hit season for Venus and Peers. They captured ATP 500 titles in Dubai and Hamburg as well as an ATP 250 title in Antwerp.
Venus says his partnership with Peers has really developed.
"Yes, incredibly happy, we normally have six weeks off in the offseason but to have an extended break in the middle of the year you don't know how things will turn out when you get back out there.
So, to be able to have the win in Dubai before Covid and to get things rolling when we were back is really pleasing. I am really happy with where my game's at." Venus said.
Venus doesn't know when he will play again with the ATP calendar not finalised yet for before January's Australian Open, but Venus says he should know more in the next week.
"I think from seeing how the end of this year has gone, the tournaments will go ahead and we will have a calendar it's just a matter of where and what weeks and filling in those spots so it's just a matter of being ready once January rolls around."
Meanwhile the semi-finalists have been found in the singles with top seed Novak Djokovic to play 3rd seed Dominic Thiem and 2nd seed Rafael Nadal to play 4th seed Daniil Medvedev.