Cermak-Mertinak Win Fifth Doubles Crown Of Year, Edge Close To London Finals

© Getty ImagesMichal Mertinak and Frantisek Cermak improved to 5-2 in ATP World Tour finals this year.

Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak captured their fifth ATP World Tour doubles title of the year at the Valencia Open 500 Sunday and improved their chances of clinching one of four remaining berths at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London later this month.

Third seeds Cermak and Mertinak required 66 minutes to defeat unseeded Spanish team Marcel Granollers and Tommy Robredo 6-4, 6-3 in the final of the ATP World Tour 500 tournament.

The duo has improved two spots to No. 7 in the year-to-date ATP Doubles Team Rankings this week (with 3,400 total points), and is now 150 points behind No. 6-ranked Max Mirnyi and Andy Ram (3,550 points) in the battle for a place at the prestigious season climax at The O2 in London from 22-29 November.

“It was a great week for us and now we have a good chance to qualify for London,” said Cermak.

Cermak and Mertinak earned 500 ATP World Tour Rankings points and split €79,000 in prize money, while Granollers and Robredo picked up 300 points and shared €40,800.

In the first set Cermak and Mertinak opened up a 4-1 courtesy of service break in the fourth game, but Granollers and Robredo responded by winning three straight games.  Cermak and Mertinak won 19 of 24 service points and hit three aces in the 32-minute opening set, which they won by virtue of breaking Roberdo’s serve in a tense 10th game.

Cermak and Mertinak battled back from 15/40 in the fifth game in the second set and went on to win two further games to lead 5-2.  The pair converted one of six break point opportunities in the second set.  

“It was a very important match for us,” admitted Mertinak.  “I am very happy we won, it was a good quality match from both sides.”

In their debut season together, Cermak and Mertinak have compiled a 45-24 mark, highlighted by winning four ATP World Tour titles on clay.  Their last title came in September at the BCR Open Romania (d. Brunstrom-Rojer) in Bucharest and two weeks ago reached the Kremlin Cup final (l. to Cuevas-Granollers) in Moscow.

Granollers and Robredo dropped to 10-4 lifetime together since making a successful debut in February at the Brasil Open in Costa do Sauipe, where they captured the title (d. Arnold Ker-Monaco).

Granollers was trying to collect his fourth ATP World Tour title of the season with his third different partner.  He had won trophies in Costa do Sauipe (w/Robredo), at the Copa Telmex in Buenos Aires (w/Martin) and the Kremlin Cup in Moscow (w/Cuevas).  He has a 3-2 record overall in ATP World Tour finals.  Robredo, who was trying to pick up his second title of the year, is 3-4 in doubles finals.