Cincinnati, August 13 — Yuki Bhambri and Michael Venus endured a tough opening-round loss at the ATP Masters 1000 in Cincinnati, falling to Francisco Cabral and Lucas Miedler 6-3, 6-7(1), [4-10] in a closely fought doubles encounter.
The Indo-Kiwi duo started brightly, clinching the first set 6-3 with confident play. However, the momentum shifted in the second set as Cabral and Miedler fought back, dominating the tiebreak 7-1 and eventually sealing the match with a strong finish in the match tiebreak.
Bhambri, who would not have expected such a start to the North American hardcourt swing, will now look to regroup quickly as he heads to the ATP 250 event in Winston-Salem next week. With the US Open approaching, the Indian doubles specialist will aim to find rhythm and confidence in the coming matches.