Francisco Cabral and Lucas Miedler’s Roland Garros run came to an end on Wednesday. They lost to Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 7-6, 6-3. The score doesn’t show how tough the match was.
Cabral and Miedler started strong, taking a 2-0 lead in the first set. They had chances to pull ahead but couldn’t take them. They had a break point at 3-2, reached 0-30 at 4-3, and 15-30 at 5-4. They even had a set point at 6-5. But they couldn’t make it count. The favorites won the tie-break.
In the second set, Cabral and Miedler had two break points in the second game. But again, they couldn’t capitalize. Granollers and Zeballos took over from there. They were the best doubles team in the world last year and played like it.
Cabral and Miedler had won 15 of their last 18 matches before this. They leave Paris with their heads held high. Now, Portugal’s hopes in the doubles tournament rest on Nuno Borges and his partner Arthur Rinderknech. They play Zizou Bergs and Jesper de Jong in the first round.
What’s Next
Nuno Borges and Arthur Rinderknech face a tough test. They need to beat Zizou Bergs and Jesper de Jong to keep Portugal in the tournament. Cabral and Miedler may be out, but they showed they can compete with the best. They just need to work on closing out matches.
Key Stats
- Cabral and Miedler’s ranking: 49th and 51st in doubles
- Granollers and Zeballos’ ranking: 10th and 11th in doubles
- Cabral and Miedler’s record before Roland Garros: 15 wins in 18 matches