Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau lifted their 17th ATP World Tour doubles as a team on Saturday, beating wild cards Jamie Cerretani and Leander Paes 6-2, 7-6(2) to retain their Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title.
"With each match we got better," reflected Tecau. "We had tough quarter-finals and semi-finals matches. We are happy to get the win today because it was a tricky match."
The defending champions backed up their 2017 title run (d. Bopanna/Matkowski) by breaking their opponents on three occasions and winning 75 per cent of their service points in the 87-minute clash. The Dutch-Romanian team ended Cerretani and Paes’ six-match unbeaten streak as a pair. The title marks Rojer’s 26th tour-level doubles title, while Tecau has now won 34 trophies. The 2015 Nitto ATP Finals champions denied Leander Paes his 750th tour-level doubles victory — the Indian remains at 749.
"It means a lot because this tournament always has a strong doubles field. Winning here two years in a row, it's a great accomplishment for us. Always have to beat some big servers on these fast conditions. That's very good for confidence to win here twice," said Tecau.Paes and Cerretani were bidding for a second title in two events as a team, after triumphing in their only previous outing as a duo on the ATP Challenger Tour in Newport Beach last month (d. Huey/Kudla). Paes was playing for for a third Dubai title — in his fifth final — and a 55th tour-level trophy, which would have given him his first triumph since 2015 Auckland. Cerretani was seeking a fifth title on the ATP World Tour with a fifth partner.
The second seeds started quickly, dropping just three points in the first three games for a 3-0 lead. Cerretani and Paes got themselves onto the scoreboard from there, but the double-break soon came for Rojer and Tecau, with an angled return winner from Tecau, to clinch the first set.
The defending champions raced out to a 2-0 lead in the second set, increasing their grip on the match, but Cerretani and Paes replied immediately to level proceedings at 2-2 with improved play. Further break points came and passed for both teams before a second-set tie-break, and it was there that Rojer and Tecau excelled. Tecau hit a strong serve on the pair’s first championship point, and Rojer clinched the title with an overhead.
Rojer and Tecau will receive 500 ATP Doubles Ranking points and split the $170,270 champions' prize money. Cerretani and Paes collect 300 points and will share $83,360.
After a strong start to 2018, Rojer discussed the team's goals for the remainder of the season. "The long-term goal is the Nitto ATP Finals, but that is a long way away," said Rojer. "I think for both of us it would be to try to win more Grand Slams and perform a little bit better in ATP Masters 1000 events."
Did You Know?
While individuals have successfully returned with a new partner and won back-to-back doubles titles, Rojer and Tecau’s triumph marks the first time in the 26-year history of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships that a team has successfully retained its crown.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour http://ift.tt/2HZGFu3
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