The 35-year-old tennis player from Mar del Plata and Marcel Granollers form one of the best eight couples of the year and great protagonists of the prestigious contest.
(Photo: Rio Open)
It is not one more competition for Horacio Zeballos but, neither more nor less, it will be the debut in the ATP Masters Tournament, the Masters of London. The tennis player from Mar del Plata secured a place in the doubles modality among the best eight couples of 2020 thanks to a great year, although atypical due to the pandemic. As usual, he will compete together with his partner Marcel Granollers.
The eight couples were divided into two groups of four each, and the binomial formed by the 35-year-old Mar del Plata and the Catalan is the fourth seed. They are in the area called “Bob Bryan” next to the Australian John Peers and the New Zealander Michael Venus, couple with whom they will debut this Monday from 9 Argentine time.
In addition, it is best seed couple made up of the Croatian Mate Pavic and the brazilian Bruno Soares (They raised the US Open) and next to them appears the binomial constituted by the Austrian Jurgen Melzer and french Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
Horacio Zeballos, number 3 in the ATP Rankings In the doubles modality and Marcel Granollers, number 11, they managed to qualify for this prestigious Masters after having shouted champions in the ATP of Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro at the beginning of the year. Then came the sports break caused by the coronavirus and this was not an obstacle for them since they made the news again on the return of the circuit for reaching the ATP 250 final in Kitzbühel and later becoming champions of the Rome Masters.
In addition to all these achievements, with which they managed to add important points for the ranking, Horacio Zeballos made history after equaling the record of Guillermo Vilas, in being the only Argentines to lift 16 ATP titles in the doubles modality and also to once again be considered number 3 in the world in this modality, as had happened in 2019.
In the other doubles area in the 2020 London Masters called “Mike Bryan” is made up of the second seeded pair, the American Rajeev Ram and English Joe Salisbury (winners from Australia); in addition to the third seeded pair, the Germans Kevin Krawietz y Andreas Mies (Roland Garros champions), the binomial built by the Dutch Wesley Koolhoof and the croatian Nikola Mektic and finally, the Polish Lukasz Kubot and the brazilian Marcelo melo.
It will be the first time that Zeballos, 35, competes in the most important tournament of the year, while his partner, Marcel Granollers, already has a more than remarkable experience in the contest. In the ATP Finals 2012, together with his compatriot Marc López, they managed to be champions of the prestigious championship.
In an event for few, which will take place without an audience as a result of the pandemic and with a rigorous sanitary protocol for the players and their few companions, the Mar del Plata will not be the only Argentine to compete, since in the singles modality he Diego Small Schwartzman.
Horacio Zeballos ready for the 2020 London Masters
The 28-year-old Argentine is located in the position 9 of the ATP Ranking in singles after in 2020 he reached his first Masters 1000 final (at the Foro Italico), and played his first Grand Slam semifinal -in Paris-. It is located in the area called “Tokio 1970” next to Novak Djokovic (number 1), Russian Daniil Medvedev (4) and German Alexander Zverev (position 7). Small He will also debut this Monday from 11 am (Argentine time) against the Serbian Djokovic.
For its part, in the other area called “London 2020”, are the Spanish Rafael Nadal (world number 2), Austrian Dominic Thiem (3), the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (6) and Russian Andrey Rublev.
It is not just another tournament for the Argentines. They know it and are already prepared and ready to debut, leave their best image and represent the country in their own way in this sport.
