Men’s Doubles top seeds Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan  and Vijay Sundar Prashanth kept the Indian flag high by reaching the summit clash of the PMRDA Powered Maha Open ATP Challenger 100 Men’s Tennis Championship organized by Maharashtra State Lawn tennis Association (MSLTA) in association with the Department of Sports and Youth Services Govt. of Maharashtra, PCMC, PMC and PMDTA at the Mhalunge Balewadi Tennis Stadium.

The experienced left and right hand Indian pair of Jeevan and Vijay endured a tough contest in the opening set against the Indian- Zimbabwe pair of Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and Zimbabwe’s Courtney John Lock that lasted over an hour in the first semi-final.

Saving a break point early on in the third game proved to be crucial in the context of the set for the seasoned Indian duo, as both the semi-finalists  held on to their serve games thereafter to draw parity at 6-6. In the end it was the ability to capatalise on the second serve points by Jeevan and Vijay coupled with the fact that their young rivals registered a crucial double fault after being tied 3-3 in the tie-break, that proved to be the ultimate difference as they won the first set 7-6 (5).

The second set too proceeded on the same lines of the first set, before the Indian duo profited on the two break points in the seventh game to take a crucial 4-3 lead and held on to the advantage to win the second set 6-4 and the match in two straight sets in one hour forty three minutes.

They will next take on second seeded Australian duo of Blake Bayldon and Matthew Christopher Romios who survived a scare against their unseeded Great Britain and Austrian pair of Jay Clarke and Jurij Rodionov, before prevailing in third set super tie breaker 6-3, 3-6, 10-5 in the second semis that lasted one hour and ten minutes.

Blake / Matthew made the most of the advantage following dues in the sixth game to win the first set 6-3. Jay / Jurij too took advantage of a crucial break in the eighth game that saw them win the  second set 6-3, to pave way for the deciding set third set only to wilt under pressure and trailed throughout in the super tie break while committing a double fault on the match point to hand over the advantage to the left and right handed duo of Blake / Matthew.

Earlier the Doubles finalist of the last week ATP tournament in Delhi, India’s Niki Poonacha and Courtney Lock of Zimbabwe upset the fourth-seeded Australian pair of Blake Ellis and Tristan Schoolkate 7-6 (4), 6-7 (4), 10-8 in an exciting quarterfinals match.

On the other hand Jeevan and Vijay, survived a match point to edge out  Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan  6-3,3-6, 12-10 in a thrilling all Indian encounter to enter the last four stage.

Results Doubles

Semi-finals:  [1] Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan (IND) /Vijay Sundar Prashanth (IND) bt  Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha (IND) / Courtney John Lock (ZIM)  7-6(5),6-3; [2] Blake Bayldon (AUS) / Matthew Christopher Romios (AUS) bt  Jay Clarke(GBR) /Jurij Rodionov(AUT) 6-3, 3-6, 10-5.

Quarter-finals: [1] Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan (IND) /Vijay Sundar Prashanth (IND) bt Saketh Myneni (IND) / Ramkumar Ramanathan (IND) 6-3, 2-6, 12-10; Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha (IND) / Courtney John Lock (ZIM) bt [4] Blake Ellis / Tristan Schoolkate (AUS) 7-6 (4), 6-7(4), 10-8; Jay Clarke(GBR) /Jurij Rodionov (AUT) bt  PetrBar Biryukov /Ilia Simakin (RUS) 7-6 (5), 6-3; [2] Blake Bayldon (AUS) / Matthew Christopher Romios (AUS) bt  Enrico Dalla Valle (ITA) / Khumoyun Sultanov (UZB) 6-3, 4-6, 12-10.

Photo Above: Men’s Doubles top seeds Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan (Right) and Vijay Sundar Prashanth exult after entering the Men's Doubles final of the  Maha Open ATP Challenger 100 Men’s Tennis Championship