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India’s doubles pair, Niki Poonacha and Rithvik Bollipalli, created history by securing their second ATP Challenger title after winning the Acapulco title at the GNP Seguros Tennis Open.
The Indian duo defeated the tournament’s top-seeded pair Luke Johnson and Skander Mansouri 7-6 (4), 7-5 in the grand finale. Though both sets looked tight-contested, the Indian pair looked impressive in crucial moments to win the encounter.
Moving into the details of the match, the opening set looked nail-biting as both sides found themselves locked in a tie-breaker. However, the Indian pair’s exceptional gameplay and pinpoint execution saw them win the crucial opening set.
The second set saw Johnson and Mansouri look extremely determined to win and move the game to the deciding set. However, in the final moments of the second set, Poonacha and Bollipalli proved their brilliance to win by 7-5.
This victory is the Indian duo’s second title of the year and their fourth finals appearance. With this significant triumph, Niki Poonacha and Rithvik Bollipalli have achieved career-high rankings. Poonacha soared to 107, while Bollipalli reached 118 in the ATP doubles rankings.
In the Round of 16, they defeated Juan Pablo Ficovich and Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva 7-5, 6-2. Later in the quarterfinals, they stunned Piotr Matuszewski and Matthew Christopher Romios 6-4, 6-1.
In the semifinals, Rithvik and Niki defeated India's Anirudh Chandrasekar and Mexico’s Hans Hach Verdugo by 6-3, 6-4.
Niki Poonacha and Rithvik Bollipalli secured their maiden ATP Challenger title in March 2024
Niki Poonacha and Rithvik Bollipalli racked up their maiden ATP Challenger title in San Luis, Mexico in March 2024. The duo showcased their impressive brilliance, moving past the Swiss pair of Antoine Bellier and Marc-Andrea Huesler in the final by 6-3, 6-2.
In the first round, Niki Poonacha-Rithvik Bollipalli stunned Hunter Reese-Thomas Fancutt with a score of 6-3, 7-6. Later, they defeated Vasek Pospisil-Hans Hach Verdugo in a tight battle, securing victory with a scoreline of 7-6, 4-6, 13-11 in the quarterfinals.
Poonacha and Bollipalli defeated Patrick Trhac-Ryan Seggerman 6-3, 6-4 in the semifinals.
