Barclays ATP Tour Finals 2010: Kubot/Marach versus Moodie/Norman - Doubles Match Preview
The fifth seed tandem of Lukasz Kubot and Oliver Marach pits Wesley Moodie and d**k Norman, a seventh seed pair, in the first doubles clash of the day at 2010 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London. Both sides are attempting to get on the board with their
head to head series resting at 1-1 on the tour.
Kubot Polish and Marach Austrian made it into the prestigious event on the second occasion in a row. The duo jumped off to a lifetime best 14-3 start during the first two months of action as they advanced into a total of three title battles in a row during
Latin American clay court season.
In February, the Austrian-Polish pair did well to capture their first crown of the year after getting the better of Starace-Zeballos in Santiago. They continued their impressive form in Costa do Sauipe as well where they finished as runners up to Cuevas-Granollers.
Marach along with Lukasz played the third last event of the Latin American clay court circuit by picking up another trophy in Acapulco where the two of them brushed aside Fognini-Starace in the finals in straight sets. They however, did not win back to back
clashes again until May at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Rome where the pair advanced into the semi finals before losing to Bryan brothers.
At the third Grand Slam tournament of the season, the French Open in Roland Garros, Marach and Lukasz made their way into the quarter final round where they were bundled out of the event by Nestor-Zimonjic in straight sets. The pair, two months later, could
not even win their opening round match of Wimbledon at the All England Club. They took a break before making the comeback in August at the Cincinnati Masters where they stormed into the semi finals before falling to Bhupathi-Mirnyi.
In the final Grand Slam competition of the season at the United States Open in New York, Marach and Lukasz reached the final eight round where the duo was toppled by Schwank-Zeballos in straight sets.
They are recently coming off their semi final appearance in Shanghai and title battle run in Valencia back in October.
Moodie and Norman, on the other hand, are playing in London on the first occasion in their career. The South African-Belgian pair throughout the year was consistently a regular weekend performer, reaching a total of seven final four rounds.
Both of them started playing as a pair back in 2009 however competed with different partners during the first three months in 2010. Moodie owns a mark of 1-4 with three different partners while he was 6-7 with Christopher Kas of Germany.
The tandem regrouped back in April and played at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo where they couldn’t go beyond the semi final stage, losing to Nestor-Zimonjic in straight sets.
They were bundled out in three first round clashes in a row before regaining their form with a semi final showing at the third Grand Slam of the season, the French Open in Roland Garros. Moodie along with Norman also played well on grass with final four
efforts in 's-Hertogenbosch as well as in Wimbledon, losing to Bryan brothers and Melzer-Petzschner respectively.
During summer, the pair advanced into the semi final rounds in Gstaad, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Cincinnati and final eight round at the United States Open in New York.
Their best results in the last two months are semi final appearances in Stockholm and Metz.
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