A huge challenge in the first-set tiebreak decides Adelaide International men’s double
The first set was a titanic tussle, the second the complete opposite, as Maximo Gonzalez and Fabrice Martin took out the men’s doubles at the Adelaide International.
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The first set was a titanic tussle, the second the complete opposite, as Maximo Gonzalez and Fabrice Martin took out the men’s doubles at the Adelaide International.
The Argentine French duo and the fourth seed pairing of Croatian Ivan Dodig and Slovakian Filip Polasek could not be separated in a thrilling first set that went right to the wire.
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Neither pair was broken in the 1hr 8min opener, with each other them saving four break points along the way.
The tie-break was similarly tight.
After squandering two set points, Dodig and Polasek thought they had taken it out at 10-9 only for Gonzalez to challenge the call of one of their shots during the rally.
Hawk eye determined that ball was indeed out and it was back level at 10-10.
Six points later Gonzalez and Martin were walking away with the first set under their belts after finally triumphing 14-12 in the tie-break - their fourth set point opportunity.
If the first was a war of attribution, then the second set was a bloodbath for Dodig and Polasek as Gonzalez and Martin raced to a 5-0 lead.
The fourth seeds did get on the board and on their first Championship Point Gonzalez doubled faulted, and then hit Martin with the ball to give the Slavic duo a second game in the row.
They won a third, but Gonzalez and Martin would not be denied further as they took out the match and the title 7-6 (12), 6-3. It was the first tournament that the Argentine and Frenchman had competed together in.
They did not drop a set on the way to their maiden title.