From 0-2 down to the last eight: Balaji and Demoliner stun 6th seeds Krawietz/Puetz at Roland-Garros
Sriram Balaji and Marcelo Demoliner are into the Roland-Garros Men’s Doubles Quarter-finals after outplaying sixth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 7-5 6-4, a result that announces this pair as a genuine threat to whoever comes next
The pair had to dig themselves out early. Down 0-2 in the first set, they fought back in style to seize the set, and never really let Krawietz and Puetz settle.
The Germans were not light opposition. Krawietz won this very title in 2019 and 2020, and the pair arrived in Paris fresh off a Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters title and an ATP 500 title in Hamburg. Puetz himself is no stranger to the courts of Roland-Garros, having claimed the 2023 Mixed Doubles crown here. But none of it was enough.
For Balaji, this is uncharted territory. A maiden Grand Slam quarter-final, earned the hard way.
Next up: Second seeds Harri Heliövaara and Henry Patten, a Finnish-British combination that has been one of the most consistent doubles teams on tour this season. The challenge steps up sharply — but so has this pair’s belief.
