Last year’s runners-up Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram overcame top seeds, Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof, 7-6(7), 6-4 to progress to tomorrow’s showpiece final, while Lloyd Glasspool and partner, Harri Heliovaara, lose out in nail-biting semi-final spectacle to 14-time Tour level champions, Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic.

Salisbury and Ram charged into their fourth encounter with Skupski and Koolhof, not dropping a point behind their first serve as they forged a healthy 3-0 lead early on in Turin. However, a love hold from the British/Dutch duo saw them settle into the match as their first game on the board swiftly followed a break of serve.

Despite Salisbury and Ram earning set point at 5-5, Skupski and Koolhof called for a tiebreak after keeping any immediate signs of danger at bay. Following an unruly backhand return from Salisbury that flew cross-court to paint the tramlines, the back-to-back US Open champions went up a double mini-break to build a comfortable 6-2 lead.

Yet, as five set points came and went, Skupski and Koolhof were able to claw their way back into the game, but Salisbury and Ram eventually put a pin in the opening set after capitalising on their sixth set point.   

The second set saw Skupski and Koolhof trailing once again as their opponents found an immediate break to edge ahead. Firmly holding on to their one-break lead, this year’s two-time ATP Masters 1000 winners booked themselves a spot in the finals for a second time after producing reflexes out of the top draw. 

Elsewhere, Britain’s Glasspool and Finland’s Heliovaara bowed out 6-4, 6-7(4), 10-6 to fourth seeds, and former Wimbledon doubles champions, Mektic and Pavic.

Although it was Glasspool and Heliovaara who successfully made 73% of first serves compared to their opponents 64%, the fourth seeds banked the first and only break of the opening set at the first time of asking to go a set ahead.

Despite three break point opportunities for the Croatian pair in the second, Glasspool and Heliovaara remained on serve as they edged closer to a tiebreak. With both pairs producing emphatic service points, it was anyone’s game, but an unforced error from the Croatians saw the British/Finnish duo go up a mini-break before claiming the all-important equaliser.

Glasspool and Heliovaara rushed out of the starting blocks in the deciding match tiebreak, earning themselves an immediate mini-break. Yet, Metktic and Pavic remained calm and collected under pressure to level the scoreboard at 2-2, eventually finding a second mini-break of their own. Although Glasspool and Heliovaara clawed their way back from 6-3 on serve to close the gap at 6-5, they were unable to break the force of this year’s cinch Championships champions, losing what transpired to be a frustrating final shootout for the pair.

Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof came out on top after facing a difficult challenge in Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek, sealing a 7-5, 4-6, (10,6) win.

The opening set remained close, with both doubles’ pairings staying on serve. However, the British/Dutch duo remained strong, rallying up an incredible 94% of first serve points won, compared to their opponents 68%. It was Skupski and Koolhof who found the breakthrough at 6-5, with Skupski firing a forehand that would clinch the first set for the first seeds.

However, the Croatian/American pairing turned up the heat in the second set and caught an early break at 2-2. Having not dropped a single point behind their first serve, it was Dodig and Krajicek who would eventually take the second set to level up the scoreboard and call for a match tie-break.

Skupski and Koolhof were first off the line in the tie-break, putting in an impressive performance to secure match victory.

Their place in the semi-finals was confirmed this evening when the Australian duo of Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios lost to fourth seeds, Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic.

Salisbury and Ram come back from one set down to reach semi-finals in Turin

Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram overcame an energetic performance from Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer, where the seconds seeds rallied from one set down to clinch a 3-6, 7-6(4), (10-5) victory and qualify for the semi-finals in Turin.

In what was their first meeting with Arevalo and Rojer, the British, American duo entered the match needing only to win one set to book their place in the semi-finals.

After a dominant first-set performance, Arevalo and Rojer were hoping to carry over their high-energy into the second set but struggled to match Salisbury and Ram’s consistency in the tie-break.

Despite confirming their semi-final qualification in the second set, the reigning US Open champions kept their foot on the accelerator and raced to a 6-1 lead in the match tiebreak to secure an undefeated run in the round-robin stages.

Meanwhile, Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara also secured their place in the final four at the Nitto ATP Finals with a dominant 6-0, 6-4 win over Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

They will have to wait until tomorrow to find out who they will face in the semis, with a potential clash with Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof on the cards.

The win also guarantees Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram’s qualification for the semi-finals before the second seeds take to the court to play their third and final match later today.

After taking an early break lead, Glasspool and Heliovaara came through the pivotal third game of the opening set – saving two break points to secure a 3-0 lead on a crucial deciding deuce point. The duo marched on from there to win the final three games to the loss of just three games to take a one set advantage in 21 minutes.

Playing in only their first meeting, the teams were far more balanced in a close second set, but once again, it came down to which side was most clinical in the big moments. Granollers and Zeballos once again lost a deciding deuce point at 3-3 despite having two break points, while the British, Finnish pair seized their one and only chance on the final point of the match.

Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof suffered a 6-4, 7-6(3) defeat against Croatian powerhouses Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic, leaving their hopes of reaching the Nitto ATP Finals semi-final uncertain.

The British, Dutch duo came face-to-face with Pavic and Mektic – a pair who they lost to in their previous, and only meeting at the ATP Masters 1000 Rome event earlier this year.

The Croatians quickly capitalised on an early break point opportunity to gain control of the match and eventually take the first set.

Skupski and Koolhof raised their game in the second set, winning 79% of points behind their first serve, in comparison to the 65% in the first set. The world No.1s faced three break points at 3-3, but Koolhof found a big first serve to take the deciding point at deuce.

With the scoreboard leveled at six games apiece, it was Pavic and Mektic who ultimately claimed the tie-break to guarantee their spot in the semi-finals. Skupski and Koolhof will next take on Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek in their final Green Group match on Friday 18 November as they seek to qualify for the semi-finals.

Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram are one step closer to the Nitto ATP Finals after defeating Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara 7-5, 6-4 in Tuesday's evening session in Turin.

The 2021 runners-up came into their clash with Glasspool and Heliovaara having lost to the British, Finnish duo on their only two previous meetings this year, but made it third time lucky at the end of season finals.

Looking back to the form they displayed at the US Open this year - en route to their third Grand Slam title - Salisbury and Ram needed just a single break at the backend of each set to edge out their opponents. The British, American pair saved the only two break points they faced at a pivotal moment of the match at 4-3 in the second set, finding their serves when it mattered most and dropping just four points off the first serve throughout.

Salisbury and Ram will guarantee their spot in the final four with a win over Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer in their last group match, whilst Glasspool and Heliovaara will need to defeat Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos to keep their hopes alive.

Top seeds, Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof overcame Australian pair Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis 6-7(3), 6-4, 10-5 to secure their first win of the week to top the Green Group.

Skupski and Koolhof charged into the opening set, creating a total of four breakpoint opportunities, but the Australian’s successfully kept any danger at bay, saving four of four to stay on serve. Producing an impressive 15 aces, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis eventually claimed the first set tiebreak after going up a double mini-break to lead proceedings.

However, the top ranked doubles pair in the world finally found the break in the second, refusing another breakpoint to go begging as they edged ahead to make it two sets apiece.

Holding an impressive record of 15 wins and 15 defeats in match tiebreaks, Skupski and Koolhof used their experience as they stormed ahead a double mini-break before winning the match at the third time of asking.

Brits lead at the top of Red Group at the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals after Lloyd Glasspool and Joe Salisbury both got their campaigns underway with a win.

Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara are currently top of the group after they made a dream debut win over third seeds and French Open champions, Marcleo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer 7-5, 7-6(3).

The British, Finnish duo had to save break points early in the opening set, but held on to eventually clinch the one and only break of the match at 5-5. An impressive serving display from the Hamburg champions saw them hit 11 aces to their opponent’s two while winning 11% more points off the first serve as they saw out the match in a close tie-break.

Meanwhile, US Open champions Salisbury and Rajeev Ram fought off a potential comeback against Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos to edge a 6-3, 6-7(8), 10-8 victory.

Salisbury and Ram had two match points in the second set tie-break, but failed to capitalise as Granollers and Zeballos threatened to steal the match in their favour. But it was third time lucky for the three-time Grand Slam champions, taking the match tie-break at the first time of asking as Granollers fired his drive-volley long off the back of his first serve.

The Brits could find themselves competing for the top spot in the group later this week.