Koolhof-Skupski defeated Dodig-Krajicek to win men’s double at Paris Masters

• Koolhof-Skupski defeated the in-form Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek in the final to win men’s double at Paris Masters
• Koolhof and Skupski will go to Turin where they will participate as the top seeds in the ATP Finals in an effort to cap off an exceptional year
• The Croatian-American team’s achievements over the last month

The Dutch-British team defeated the in-form Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek in the final to win the men’s double at the Paris Masters on Sunday, completing an ATP Masters 1000 hat-trick for 2022.

In France, Dodig and Krajicek were competing in their fourth ATP Tour final in as many weeks, but second seeds Koolhof and Skupski prevailed 7-6(5), 6-4 thanks to their skill.

Following victories in Madrid and Montreal, it was the team’s third Masters 1000 victory, giving it a total of seven tour-level victories since their formation at the beginning of the 2022 season. The victory also validated Koolhof and Skupski as the top-ranked team in the ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings at the end of the year.

“(It means) a lot, obviously. It was one of the goals we set for this year. I think we reached all the goals we set in January, so it means the world to us,” Koolhof acknowledged that he and Skupski were ranked first at the end of the year.

“I think we’ve been playing great tennis from the start in Australia and managed to keep it going until here. We have one more week to go, so let’s continue this run in Turin,” he added.

In spite of losing a 4-1 advantage early on in France, Koolhof and Skupski persevered to win the first set in a tie-break. The second seeds needed just one break in the third game of the second match to win the championship. They had a decisive 93-minute victory during which they made two of three breakpoint opportunities.

“It’s been great with Wes from day one, really, in Australia. We just kept growing, we had a few setbacks here and there, but we bounced straight back. We both work hard and we get along very well off the court. I think that’s one of the keys to gel on the court. If we keep putting the work in, things seem to be paying off, and hopefully we can keep going in Turin,” said Skupski.

Koolhof now has another reason to celebrate this weekend thanks to the victory in Paris. The Dutchman will debut at No. 1 in the ATP Doubles Rankings on Monday thanks to their semi-final victory over Rohan Bopanna and Matwe Middelkoop. Skupski, his partner, is expected to reach a career-high No. 2 position.

Next, Koolhof and Skupski will go to Turin where they will participate as the top seeds in the ATP Finals in an effort to cap off an exceptional year.

The Croatian-American team’s achievements over the last month, which saw them advance to the final in Florence before taking home victories in Naples and Basel, have also secured them a seat in the renowned season finale.

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