Granollers/Zeballos inch closer towards sixth Masters 1000 team title

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos have won five of the nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments as a team. Is this the week they add to their count for a sixth crown at that level with their first Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters trophy?

The third seeds moved one step closer towards the coveted Principality title Friday when they cruised past Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4, 6-3 after fending off all three break points faced in their 81-minute match.

The Spanish-Argentine duo, aiming for their first title of 2024 after a trio of final appearances, will next meet Belgians Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen, who defeated sixth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 7-5, 6-4.

Granollers and Zeballos are fourth in the ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings and a title run this week would lift them to second. They have previously won ATP Masters 1000 trophies in Canada, Rome, Madrid, Cincinnati and Shanghai.

Marcelo Melo and Alexander Zverev also reached the last four after defeating Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune 6-2, 7-6(4). The 20-year-old Rune, who earlier lost to Jannik Sinner in singles, played five sets across singles and doubles for a second consecutive day.

Melo and Zverev will face Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic in the semi-finals after the Salvadoran-Croatian pair downed Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 6-3, 7-6(4).