Murray/Soares Battle Into Quarter-Finals

In 2016, Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares finished runner-up at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. This year, the British-Brazilian duo are on a mission to go one step further.

Murray and Soares secured a tight 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 10-8 victory over Ivan Dodig and Edouard Roger-Vasselin on Wednesday, needing two hours and five minutes to prevail. The third seeds saved all three break points faced to move into the quarter-finals. Having also saved three match points in their opening victory on Sunday, the duo have won back-to-back Match Tie-breaks to kick off their campaign.

Also advancing on Wednesday were second seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, following a 7-6(8), 6-4 win over Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez. Kubot and Melo dismissed the Spaniards after one hour and 47 minutes, saving seven of 10 break points faced. The Polish-Brazilian duo are looking to add a fifth piece of ATP Masters 1000 silverware to their collection, all at different tournaments.

Meanwhile, Nikola Mektic continued his winning ways in Masters 1000 events, improving to 8-1 this year. He teamed with countryman Franko Skugor for a 3-6, 6-3, 10-4 comeback win over Karen Khachanov and Feliciano Lopez. The Indian Wells champion alongside Horacio Zeballos, Mektic is targeting a second title at the level this year.

Other results include Zeballos and Maximo Gonzalez moving into the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 upset of fifth seeds Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic. The Argentine duo lifted the trophy in Buenos Aires in February. And Dutch duo Robin Haase and Wesley Koolhof advanced with a 6-7(8), 6-4, 10-8 win over German brothers Alexander Zverev and Mischa Zverev. They are in fine form after stunning top seeds and 2016 champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in straight sets in the first round.