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Unseeded pair Masamichi Imamura and Rio Noguchi claimed the 2025 Delhi Open doubles title with a commanding 6-4, 6-3 victory over second seeds Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and Courtney John Lock at the DLTA Complex on Saturday.
The Japanese duo showcased resilience and precision, breaking their opponents early in both sets to cap off a remarkable run at the ATP Challenger 75 event, as per a press release from Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA). Imamura and Noguchi took control from the outset, securing breaks in the third and fifth games to race to a 4-1 lead. While Poonacha and Lock fought back with a break of their own in game six, closing the gap to 4-3, the Japanese pair held firm to take the first set 6-4. The second set followed a similar pattern, with breaks in the first and fifth games proving decisive. Despite the second seeds' efforts to force a turnaround, a double fault on match point sealed the title for Imamura and Noguchi. Organised by the All India Tennis Association and the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association, the Delhi Open 2025 is an ATP Challenger 75 tournament played on hard courts with 100,000 US Dollars as prize money on offer. The winner of the singles tournament also rakes in 75 crucial ATP points. Kyrian Jacquet prolonged his dream run in the men's singles event by knocking out top seed Vit Kopriva in straight sets in the semifinals. The unseeded Frenchman, who had eliminated seventh seed Sho Shimabukuro and seasoned players Jay Clarke and Michael Geerts in the earlier rounds, raced off the blocks in the first set, breaking Kopriva in the second and sixth games to establish a 5-1 lead. Kopriva gave himself some reprieve by breaking back in the very next game, before holding his serve to cut the deficit to 5-3. Jacquet, however, won on his serve-a weapon he relied upon throughout the match-to claim the first set. The second set proved much more straightforward for Jacquet, who broke Kopriva's service thrice in a row to seal the win 6-3, 6-1 in little over an hour. Jacquet will face second seed Billy Harris in the Delhi Open 2025 singles final after the Briton saw off third seed Tristan Schoolkate with a spectacular come-from-behind win in the second semifinal. Having lost the opening set 6-4, Harris retaliated in the second, forcing his opponent into a tiebreaker which he won by a three-point margin. With momentum on his side, Harris raced into a 3-0 advantage in the decider before winning the match on his opponent's serve in the eighth game. A two-hour-22-minutes-long battle later, Harris stamped his triumph 4-6, 7(7)-6(4), 6-2. (ANI)
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