Tennis: Big win for Michael Venus at Shanghai Masters

Michael Venus ( Nouvelle Zelande ) , French Open tennis tournament, Roland Garros in Paris, France. 31 May 2018. Photo: Panoramic / www.photosport.nz

A massive win for New Zealand doubles star Michael Venus at the Shanghai Masters.

Venus and his South African partner Raven Klaasen have beaten ex Kiwi Ben McLachlan and his German partner Jan Lennard Struff 6-3 6-3 to reach the quarter finals at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.

It's also a result that will enhance their prospects of qualifying for the season ending ATP World Tour Finals in London with McLachlan and Struff one of their rivals in the race.

Venus and Klaasen served superbly throughout and converted all three of their break point chances to win the match in 56 minutes. It reverses their result on Sunday in the Japan Open final in Tokyo won by McLachlan and Struff in straights sets.

Venus and Klaasen will face third seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo for a place in the semis. The pairs have played three times this year with Venus and Klaasen winning one and losing two.

The result today enhances Venus and Klaasen's prospects of qualifying for the World Tour finals as they have consolidated 7th place in the race, and are effectively 6th with American Bob Bryan injured and not playing again this year.

They are more than a thousand points ahead of Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares in 10th place and it would take a major reversal in results for the Kiwi to not play at the O2 Arena for the second straight year.

Venus's fiancée Sally is also due to give birth to the couple's first child in London in the next few days and he's hoping to the baby will be late in order to get back in time for the arrival.