31 Oct 2016

Venus loses doubles final in Basel

7:33 am on 31 October 2016

New Zealand tennis player Michael Venus has been beaten in the men's doubles Swiss Indoors final in Basel.

Michael Venus has beaten Artem Sitak in the men's open singles final at the New Zealand tennis championships 2015, ASB Tennis Centre, Auckland, New Zealand, Saturday, December 12, 2015. Copyright photo: David Rowland / www.photosport.nz

New Zealand tennis player Michael Venus Photo: Photosport

Venus and his Swedish partner Robert Lindstedt went down 6-3 6-4 to the fourth-seeded pairing of Spaniard Marcel Granollers and American Jack Sock.

It was the ninth final of the year for 29-year-old Venus, but the first-time pairing were only able to win one of their four break point opportunities against the fourth seeds.

Granollers and Sock proved too strong, winning their initial break in the second game of the match and the first game of the second set.

Making the ATP 500 tournament final is likely to improve Venus' ranking from 39 to the low 30s, which would be a career high for the New Zealander.

He has had a top year, winning four ATP 250 titles with Croatian Mate Pavic.

- RNZ