# 1997 Italian Open – Men's doubles

Byron Black and Grant Connell were the defending champions, but competed this year with different partners.
Connell teamed up with Jim Grabb and lost in second round to David Adams and Andrei Olhovskiy.
Black teamed up with Alex O'Brien and lost in the final 6–3, 4–6, 7–5 against Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor.

## Seeds

* Todd Woodbridge / Mark Woodforde (first round)
* Jacco Eltingh / Paul Haarhuis (second round)
* Mark Knowles / Daniel Nestor (champions)
* Yevgeny Kafelnikov / Daniel Vacek (second round)
* Byron Black / Alex O'Brien (final)
* Ellis Ferreira / Patrick Galbraith (second round)
* Rick Leach / Jonathan Stark (semifinals)
* David Adams / Andrei Olhovskiy (quarterfinals)

## Draw
### Key

* Q = Qualifier
* WC = Wild card
* LL = Lucky loser
* Alt = Alternate
* SE = Special exempt
* PR = Protected ranking
* ITF = ITF entry
* JE = Junior exempt
* w/o = Walkover
* r = Retired
* d = Defaulted
* SR = Special ranking

### Finals

| Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| 7 | Rick Leach Jonathan Stark | 5 | 2 | | | | | |
| 5 | Byron Black Alex O'Brien | 7 | 6 | | | | | |
| 5 | Byron Black Alex O'Brien | 7 | 6 | 5 | Byron Black Alex O'Brien | 3 | 6 | 5 |
| | | | | 3 | Mark Knowles Daniel Nestor | 6 | 4 | 7 |
| 3 | Mark Knowles Daniel Nestor | 7 | 7 | 3 | Mark Knowles Daniel Nestor | 6 | 4 | 7 |
| | Sandon Stolle Cyril Suk | 6 | 6 | | | | | |

### Top half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 1 | T Woodbridge M Woodforde | 3 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Albano À Corretja | 6 | 7 | | | P Albano À Corretja | 6 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| | G Muller J Tarango | 6 | 4 | 6 | | G Muller J Tarango | 7 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | M Oosting J Siemerink | 4 | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | G Muller J Tarango | 3 | 4 | | | | |
| | N Broad P Norval | 5 | 6 | | | | | | | 7 | R Leach J Stark | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| | J Eagle A Florent | 7 | 7 | | | J Eagle A Florent | 3 | 4 | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Ekerot P Nyborg | 6 | 4 | 3 | 7 | R Leach J Stark | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | R Leach J Stark | 4 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 7 | R Leach J Stark | 5 | 2 |
| 4 | Y Kafelnikov D Vacek | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | B Black A O'Brien | 7 | 6 |
| | M Barnard HJ Davids | 3 | 4 | | 4 | Y Kafelnikov D Vacek | 4 | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | |
| | L Lobo J Sánchez | 7 | 6 | 6 | | L Lobo J Sánchez | 6 | 3 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| | S Melville F Wibier | 6 | 7 | 2 | | | | | | | L Lobo J Sánchez | 4 | 0 | | | | |
| | O Delaître F Santoro | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | 5 | B Black A O'Brien | 6 | 6 | | | | |
| Q | M Martelli D Sanguinetti | 2 | 4 | | | O Delaître F Santoro | 3 | 2 | | | | | | | | | |
| | D Johnson F Montana | 5 | 3 | | 5 | B Black A O'Brien | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | B Black A O'Brien | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Bottom half

| First round | First round | First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Semifinals |
| 6 | E Ferreira P Galbraith | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | P Kilderry P Vízner | 3 | 4 | | 6 | E Ferreira P Galbraith | 3 | 3 | | | | | | | | | |
| | M Philippoussis P Rafter | 7 | 6 | | | M Philippoussis P Rafter | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | |
| | T Nijssen J Waite | 6 | 4 | | | | | | | | M Philippoussis P Rafter | 3 | 6 | | | | |
| | T Kronemann D Macpherson | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | 3 | M Knowles D Nestor | 6 | 7 | | | | |
| Q | C Brandi F Messori | 7 | 6 | | Q | C Brandi F Messori | 7 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | |
| | L Pimek B Talbot | 4 | 6 | 3 | 3 | M Knowles D Nestor | 6 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | M Knowles D Nestor | 6 | 2 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 3 | M Knowles D Nestor | 7 | 7 |
| 8 | D Adams A Olhovskiy | 6 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | C Suk S Stolle | 6 | 6 |
| WC | J Courier A Gaudenzi | 3 | 4 | | 8 | D Adams A Olhovskiy | 5 | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | G Connell J Grabb | 6 | 3 | 7 | | G Connell J Grabb | 7 | 4 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| WC | O Camporese D Nargiso | 1 | 6 | 6 | | | | | | 8 | D Adams A Olhovskiy | 5 | 2 | | | | |
| | C Suk S Stolle | 7 | 7 | | | | | | | | C Suk S Stolle | 7 | 6 | | | | |
| WC | S Hiršzon G Ivanišević | 6 | 5 | | | C Suk S Stolle | 6 | 7 | | | | | | | | | |
| WC | A Medvedev M Ríos | 6 | 1 | | 2 | J Eltingh P Haarhuis | 4 | 5 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | J Eltingh P Haarhuis | 7 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |