Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos make confident start to Shanghai title defense | ATP Tour

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Granollers/Zeballos make a confident start to their Shanghai title defence

Gille/Vliegen upset second seeds Arevalo/Pavic

October 08, 2024

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos wasted little time getting back to winning ways in their opening match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

After lifting the title at the ATP Masters 1000 in China last year, the Spaniard and Argentine began their 2024 campaign with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Miguel Reyes-Varela and John-Patrick Smith on Tuesday afternoon. Granollers and Zeballos won 85 percent (35/41) of first serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, en route to a 77-minute victory. They will next face Jamie Murray and John Peers, who beat Ugo Humbert and Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 6-0.

Shanghai’s second and third pairs could not join Granollers and Zeballos in the second round. Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen upset the second Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic 2-6, 6-3, 10-5. It was the Belgian duo’s first win in three Lexus ATP Head2Head tournaments this year against Arevalo and Pavic, who lead the PIF ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings.

Toyko champions Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool continued their good form on the tough Asian courts by downing third seeds Matthew Ebden and Lloyd Glasspool 7-6(6), 7-6(3). Their next assignment in Shanghai is a rematch against their Tokyo championship match rivals, Ariel Behar and Robert Galloway.