No.1 ranking battle is not over

Published by Leigh Rogers

BIG MATCH: Marcelo Melo and Lukasz Kubot are playing for more than just a place in the Wimbledon gentlemen's doubles final; Getty Images
Are we about to see a change at the top of the ATP World Tour’s doubles rankings?

The world No.1 ranking has dominated discussions this fortnight at Wimbledon.

There was a three-way race for the WTA’s top singles position – and we now know that Czech Karolina Pliskova will surpass Angelique Kerber in next week’s rankings.

World No.1 doubles player Bethanie Mattek-Sands made headlines when she suffered a horrific knee injury, ending her bid to win four consecutive Grand Slam titles alongside partner Lucie Safarova.

Four men were in contention for the ATP’s No.1 singles ranking – a position Andy Murray is now assured to hold for a 38th consecutive week despite an upset loss to Sam Querrey in the quarterfinals.

But there has not been much talk about the ATP’s No.1 doubles ranking, currently held by Finland’s Henri Kontinen since April.

Until now that is.

Day 10 features a semifinal showdown between Kontinen and his Australian partner John Peers against Brazilian Marcelo Melo and Poland’s Lukasz Kubot – the winner not only decides which team advances to the Wimbledon final, but will also determine the No.1 ranking.

Melo and Kubot are currently on a 12-match winning streak on grass, having scooped titles in s-Hertogenbosch and Halle in the lead-in to Wimbledon. Should the duo advance to the Wimbledon final, Melo will overtake Kontinen as world No.1.

Kontinen and Peers, the reigning Australian Open champions, saved a match point to defeat French Open champions Michael Venus and Ryan Harrison in the quarterfinals.

These are the live ATP doubles ranking standings:

Current With final With title
1 Henri Kontinen 7940 8420 9220
2 Marcelo Melo 7940 8420 9220
3 John Peers 7620 8100 8900
4 Jamie Murray 6340
5 Bruno Soares 6340
6 Lukasz Kubot 6130 6610 7410

Melo, who is 33-years-old and 203 centimetres tall, has previously spent 26 weeks as the world’s No.1-ranked doubles player. He last held the position in June 2016.

The 35-year-old Kubot is already guaranteed to rise to a new career-high ranking of No.6 – but a semifinal victory would push him even higher to No.4.

The two teams have played once this year, with Kontinen and Peers scoring a straight-sets victory in the Rome quarterfinals in May.

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