Estoril Open News and Events

Wesley Moodie (left) and Jeff Coetzee

© JLS

The top three seeded teams all enjoyed safe passage through to the second round at the Estoril Open on Wednesday.

Top seeded South African duo Wesley Moodie and Jeff Coetzee got their campaign off to a winning start as they defeated Oliver Marach and Michal Mertinak 6-3, 7-6(5).

Ranked No. 20 and No. 30 respectively in the Stanford ATP Doubles Rankings, Coetzee/Moodie were able to convert one of their four break point chances and made 82% of first serves to help secure the victory in 1hr., 14mins.

Coetzee/Moodie have enjoyed a strong first quarter of the season, finishing runners-up in Doha (l. to Kohlschreiber/Skoch) at the start of the season, and reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open (l. to Clement/Llodra) and ATP Masters Series Miami (l. to Bryan/Bryan). They are competing in Valencia together for the first time.

Second seeds Jamie Murray and Kevin Ullyett converted four of six break points as they booked their spot in the second round with a 6-2, 6-7(5) 10-6 victory over Austrian duo Julian Knowle and Jurgen Melzer.

Scottish Murray and Zimbabwean Ullyett are pairing up for the first time this week. The 22-year-old Murray reached the quarterfinals with Eric Butorac on his debut here last year, while the 35-year-old Ullyett has not contested the event since it was played in Mallorca, his best result being a semifinal finish in 2001 with Wayne Black.

Third seeds Frantisek Cermak and Jordan Kerr, playing together for the second time this season, defeated German duo Michael Berrer and Denis Gremelmayr 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the second round.

The Czech/Australian duo recently reached the second round (l. to Bjorkman/Ullyett) in Indian Wells together. It is the first victory in Valencia for both World No. 33 Cermak and No. 27 Kerr, both having lost on their two previous visits with different partners.