Tennis: Venus ranking jumps to 36

More good news for New Zealand Davis Cup player Michael Venus. The 29-year-old has seen his ranking improve five places to No.36 in the world after his win with American Ryan Harrison at the Millennium Estoril Open in Portugal yesterday.

Venus is now playing in the 127,000 euro Aix en Provence Challenger in France where is teaming with Australian John Patrick Smith. They face Sergio Galdos (Peru) and Argentine Renzo Olivo first up.

At the same tournament top seeded Kiwis Marcus Daniell and Brazilian Marcelo Demoliner have won their first round 3-6 6-3 11-9 over Jonathan Erlich (Israel) and American Scott Lipsky .

Daniell and Demoliner will play fellow Kiwi Artem Sitak and Santiago Gonzalez (Mexico) in the quarter-finals after they won 7-6(2) 4-6 10-6 against French pair Quentin Halys and Hugo Nys in the first round.