Indian Davis Cupper Yuki Bhambri clinched his first doubles title of the season with partner Adrian Menendez-Maceiras, following a nerve-wracking win in the rain-hit final of the ATP Challenger event, here today.
The unseeded Indo-Spanish pair was trailing 5-7 1-1 against the second pair of Sergey Betov and Mikhail Elgin when the skies opened up yesterday and the final was rescheduled.
Yuki and Adrian were down a break point in the second set when the match began but they held their nerves and went on to win the final 5-7 6-3 10-8 in one hour and 23 minutes.
It was Yuki’s fifth Challenger level doubles title overall and first of the current season. Last year, he had won two titles, and one each in 2012 and 2013.
Asked if the rain break helped them regroup, 22-year-old Yuki responded with a ‘yes’.
“The rain break changed it. We were in a tough spot with my partner serving at 30-40 1-1 in the second set and we held from there and broke them (rival) in the next game,” Yuki said.
“Our opponents served really well yesterday but today we had more looks at their second serves and we were able to capitalise on that,” he added.
Yuki though made it clear that his focus would always be on singles even as playing doubles helps him a bit .
“It gives me more confidence at the net but I will be playing limited doubles at least for the next couple of months as I want o keep myself fresh for singles,” he signed off.
He earned 90 points and split 3,100 USD for his title win.
In the singles, Yuki had lost to Russian top seed and eventual champion Teymuraz Gabashvili in the quarterfinals.
Next week, Yuki will play at the USD 50,000 Challenger in Samarkand. He is unseeded there but drawn against a Qualifier in the first round.
