Michael Venus and Marcus Daniell. Photo / Photosport
Kiwis tennis players Michael Venus and Marcus Daniell have progressed to the second round of the doubles event in Tokyo, after a comfortable win over a Belarus combination.
The New Zealanders progressed 6-3 7-6 (8-6), wrapping the match up in 77 minutes.
It probably should have been over quicker, but Venus and Daniell failed to convert any of their six break point opportunities in the second set.
But they were clinical in the tiebreaker, and now have a platform to build on in Tokyo.
The Kiwis were expected to win against the Belarussian pairing of Egor Gerasimov and Ilya Ivashka, but nothing is ever guaranteed in the unpredictable doubles format.
But Venus and Daniell were solid, dropping only six points on serve across the match, while also defending their second serves well. They didn't face a break point opportunity in the entire match.
Their return games were also strong, constantly putting their opponents under pressure.
They'll face the eighth seeded Dutch team of Wesley Koolhof and Jean Julian Rojer in the next round tomorrow.
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