Peers and Polasek advance to Indian Wells doubles final

Australian John Peers is enjoying a career-best run at Indian Wells, advancing to the men's doubles final alongside Slovak partner Filip Polasek.


Saturday 16 October 2021
Leigh Rogers
Indian Wells, USA
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 09: John Peers (L) of Australia and Filip Polasek (R) of Slovakia return against Jamie Murray of Great Britain and Bruno Soares of Brazil during their Men’s Doubles semifinals match on Day Eleven of the 2021 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 09, 2021 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

John Peers and Slovak partner Filip Polasek have booked their place in the Indian Wells doubles final.

The seventh-seeded combination scored a 6-4 7-6(1) victory against eighth seeds Ivan Dodig of Croatia and Marcelo Melo of Brazil in semifinal action today.

The result propels 33-year-old Peers into his fourth ATP Tour doubles final of the season and second in as many tournaments alongside Polasek.

Peers and Polasek, who teamed up for the first time in August, have now won 12 of their past 15 matches. After a runner-up finish at San Diego earlier this month, they are aiming to win their first title as a team.


It is Peers' fifth finals appearance in total at ATP Masters 1000 level - and first since August 2018.

John Peers - ATP Masters 1000 finals appearances
YearTournamentPartnerResult
2016ShanghaiHenri Kontinen (FIN)Lost to John Isner (USA)/Jack Sock (USA)
2016ParisHenri Kontinen (FIN)Defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA)/Nicolas Mahut (FRA)
2017ShanghaiHenri Kontinen (FIN)Defeated Lukasz Kubot (POL)/Marcelo Melo (BRA)
2018TorontoHenri Kontinen (FIN)Defeated Raven Klaasen (RSA)/Michael Venus (NZL)
2021Indian WellsFilip Polasek (SVK)TBD

Peers' previous best result at Indian Wells, which is considered one of the biggest tournaments outside of the four Grand Slams, was a quarterfinal run in 2017.

World No.23-ranked Peers and world No.10 Polasek play Russian combination Aslan Karatsev and Andrey Rublev, who are both top 30-ranked singles players, for the title tomorrow.

The last Australian to win an Indian Wells men's doubles title was Sandon Stolle in 1999, while Peers becomes the first Aussie to reach a men's doubles final in the Californian desert since Wayne Arthurs and Paul Hanley in 2005.

Aussies in action - Indian Wells

RESULTS
Men's doubles, semifinals
[7] John Peers (AUS)
/Filip Polasek (SVK) d [8] Ivan Dodig (CRO)/Marcelo Melo (BRA) 6-4 7-6(1)

COMING UP
Men's doubles, final
[7] John Peers (AUS)
/Filip Polasek (SVK) v Aslan Karatsev (RUS)/Andrey Rublev (RUS)