New Zealand's top-ranked doubles player Michael Venus and new partner Germany’s Tim Puetz have cruised into the semi-finals at the ATP 500 tournament in Halle in Germany on Saturday (NZ time).
The fifth seeds have impressed in a straight sets quarter-final win over Americans Austin Krajicek and Sam Querrey, winning 6-3 6-4 in just over an hour, as they prepare for their first Grand Slam tilt as a pair at Wimbledon later this month.
The Halle tournament is Venus' first alongside Puetz, after ending his partnership with Australian John Peers at the French Open earlier this month.
Venus and Puetz earned a break in the sixth game, serving out the opening set in 28 minutes.
They got another early break in the second set, when Krajicek dropped serve in the third game although Venus had to save break points at 15-40, before closing out the match.
On Sunday, Venus and Puetz will face two of the best young singles players in the world, Canada's Felix Auger Aliassime and Poland's Hubert Hurkacz, for a place in the final.
Meanwhile, rain in London has delayed Kiwi Marcus Daniell and his Austrian partner Philipp Oswald's doubles semi-final against French Open champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut at the ATP 500 Queen’s tournament.
The match will now take place Sunday.
