Astana, Kazakhstan, 3 October 2023 | Leigh Rogers

Astana, Kazakhstan

John Peers has fallen heartbreakingly short of claiming the doubles title at an ATP 250 tournament in Astana.

The 35-year-old Australian and Croatian partner Mate Pavic did not drop serve in their final showdown against American duo Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow. However, it wasn’t enough to stop the second seeds from edging out a 7-6(4) 7-6(7) victory.

Both teams only faced a single break point each on serve in the 96-minute championship match.

Peers and Pavic will rue their missed chances after failing to convert two set points, one in the 10th game and another during the tiebreak, in a tight second set.

This helped world No.28 Lammons and world No.29 Withrow snare their fourth ATP team title this season.

World No.39 Peers now turns his attention to the Shanghai Masters, where he’ll team with another Croat, Nikola Mektic.

AUSSIES IN ACTION – Astana

RESULTS
Men’s doubles, final
[2] Nathaniel Lammons (USA)/Jackson Withrow (USA) d [4] John Peers (AUS)/Mate Pavic (CRO) 7-6(4) 7-6(7)

Beijing, China

Unfortunately, Storm Hunter’s China Open doubles campaign came to an end, bowing out in the second round alongside Belgian partner Elise Mertens.

Chinese Taipei’s Chan Hao-Ching and Mexico’s Giuliana Olmos scored a surprisingly convincing 6-1 6-2 victory against the top seeds.

This leaves Ellen Perez as the last Australian standing at the WTA 1000 tournament.

Perez and American partner Nicole Melichar-Martinez are determined to make a deep run this week to boost their chances for qualifying for the season-ending WTA Finals in Mexico.

World No.2 Hunter and world No.1 Mertens, despite their loss today, have already secured their spot as one of the best eight performing teams this season.

Qualifying for the prestigious WTA Finals is another career-first in a stunning season for 29-year-old Hunter.

AUSSIES IN ACTION – Beijing

RESULTS
Women’s doubles, second round
Chan Hao-Ching (TPE)/Giuliana Olmos (MEX) d [1] Storm Hunter (AUS)/Elise Mertens (BEL) 6-1 6-2

COMING UP
Women’s doubles, second round
Ellen Perez (AUS)/Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) v [3] Barbora Krejcikova (CZE)/Katerina Siniakova (CZE)

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