Barcelona Open doubles event set to feature big names
The Barcelona Open doubles event is set to feature two interesting pairings as Austria's Dominic Thiem and Portugal's Joao Sousa, as well as Japan's Kei Nishikori and Argentine Diego Schwartzman, have signed up to play.
Thiem, 25, and 30-year-old Sousa are set to debut as a team next week on the clay of Barcelona as they have no previous appearances together.
Unfortunately for Thiem and Sousa, it won't be easy for them to win their debut match as they have been drawn to meet top-seeded Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo in the first round.
Thiem played doubles last week at this week's Monte Carlo Masters, where he and fellow compatriot Jurgen Melzer lost to Kubot and Melo in the round-of-16.
Meanwhile, Sousa teamed up in Monte Carlo with Schwartzman, where they made the quarter-final before losing to Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares.
It remains to be seen can Thiem and Sousa pull off a big upset and beat 2017 Wimbledon champions Kubot and Melo in their Barcelona opener.
On the other side, Nishikori and Schwartzman are also set for a doubles team debut as they have no previous appearances together.
The Japanese and the Argentine also haven't been handed an easy draw as they will be meeting 2018 Wimbledon champions Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic in their opening match.
Nishikori, 29, last played doubles at the Indian Wells Masters, where he and Argentina's Maximo Gonzalez lost in the first round to Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2PjDzFr
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