No they didn't. The tourney had them play twice in the same day.
Since when was that a thing? It shouldn't be allowed unless both teams play twice in the same day.
It was a weird situation. Their match was delayed into today due to rain yesterday. They'd both played singles matches earlier in the day and therefore were scheduled very late for their doubles. So today they had to play two rounds to catch up ahead of their next set of singles matches in R4. The tournament did not want to risk a nightmare scenario where they fell even further behind (e.g. having to play multiple singles and doubles matches in one day if their R4s got knocked into Tuesday with Monday being a wash out). It's a good example of why most elite singles players don't both with doubles too much, even at Slams.
Some thoughts:
- Men's draw has a real post-Federer/Nadal feel to it with Rafa pulling out. Thiem and Goffin are likely contesting the floating SF spot if they can see off unfancied Granollers and Gulbis, while Wawrinka only has to avoid a wild upset to guarantee a semi-final. Djokovic has some old pros to deal with and nobody expects any of them to pose a threat (Agut then Ferrer or Berdych). Somehow we even have another Murray v Gasquet showdown. Their clash in 2008 at Wimbledon where Murray leapt off the court during the third set tie breaker after a desperate chase, getting a raucous ovation before coming back to win in five, is one of my favourite tennis memories. It's hard to believe it was so long ago...
- Tournament has been hurt by losing Tsonga and Monfils as well as the big two. Terrible weather forecasts and strikes haven't helped matters either. Definitely deserves at least one brilliant match before it's over.
- Usually it's the women's draw that has a surprise player getting the run of their lives (see Shelby Rogers, likely earning more than she has in her whole career this week), but the men's draw has Ramos-Vinolas. Saw his match against Raonic this morning - totally deserved his straight sets win and held his nerve after blowing two MPs at the end of the third set. Loved his celebration too. First time he'd ever even been in the second week and now he's in the QFs.
- Muguruza's been ominously good and should blow Rogers off the court in the QFs. Halep, Stosur and Radwanska (assuming no miracle comeback by Pironkova) have to knock lumps out of each other today and tomorrow for the right to play her in the SF too, which won't hurt her chances of a second Slam final. I suspect Serena will be tested before she gets there, after a pretty run of the mill performance against Mladenovic, who had (and wasted) several chances to steal a set.
- I know I'm just about the only person in the world who follows the "Races to London and Singapore", but I do. With 4 of the sitting top 8 out, and Federer skipping the event, Goffin or Thiem could get themselves well inside the top 8 spots with a run to the SFs. Bearing in mind how many ranking points Djokovic/Murray/etc. gobble up, deep runs in Slams for the next group of players can make them very hard to catch. Suarez Navarro should beat Putintseva tomorrow and give herself a comfortable cushion coming out of the clay season.
- Isner v Murray's first set was great to watch. Most enjoyable set of the tournament so far of what I've seen. Murray rescuing the set point where Isner belted down a monster 1st serve then got tight on the forehand was the crucial moment.
