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Delhi Open: Poonacha-Lock reach finals in men's doubles event

ANI February 14, 2025 133 views

Indian and Zimbabwean tennis players Niki Poonacha and Courtney Lock have stormed into the Delhi Open doubles final with an impressive victory. The second-seeded pair demonstrated exceptional skill by defeating third seeds Jay Clarke and Johannes Ingildsen in a compelling match. Their win came after a dominant first set and a hard-fought tiebreaker in the second set, showcasing their teamwork and determination. The duo will now compete for the championship against the unseeded Japanese pair of Masamichi Imamura and Rio Noguchi.

"Dominant performance secures finals berth" - DLTA Press Release
New Delhi, February 14: India's Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and Zimbabwe's Courtney John Lock reached the final of the Delhi Open 2025 men's doubles event, defeating third seeds Jay Clarke and Johannes Ingildsen 6-2, 7(7)-6(1) at the DLTA Complex on Friday.

Key Points

1

Second-seeded pair win 6-2, 7(7)-6(1) in hard-court thriller

2

Will face Japanese duo Imamura-Noguchi in final

3

ATP Challenger 75 tournament with $100,000 prize money

The second-seeded pair dominated the opening set before Clarke and Ingildsen mounted a challenge in the second, forcing a tiebreaker. However, Poonacha and Lock held firm to close out the match in an hour and 24 minutes, as per a press release from DLTA.

Organised by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA), the Delhi Open 2025 is an ATP Challenger 75 tournament played on hard courts with USD 100,000 as prize money on offer. The winner of the singles tournament also rakes in 75 crucial ATP points.

Poonacha and Lock will now compete for the title against the unseeded Japanese pair, Masamichi Imamura and Rio Noguchi, who staged an impressive comeback win against Hynek Barton and Vit Kopriva. After losing the first set 1-6, Imamura and Noguchi rallied to win the second set 6-4 and then triumphed in a nail-biting 12-10 final set to secure their place in the final.

The singles quarterfinals provided plenty of action for fans, with all four matches extending beyond 90 minutes. Top seed Vit Kopriva continued his dominant run, dispatching sixth seed Shintaro Mochizuki 6-2, 6-4 in a high-quality contest. Meanwhile, second seed Billy Harris was pushed to the limit by Elias Ymer, eventually prevailing 6-2, 4-6, 7(7)-6(1) in a three-set battle.

Third seed Tristan Schoolkate progressed after a demanding battle against qualifier Andre Ilagan that lasted two hours and 44 minutes. The match included tiebreakers in the opening two sets, but Schoolkate surged ahead in the final set, clinching a 6(2)-7(7), 7(7)-6(1), 6-2 victory.

Completing the semifinal lineup, Frenchman Kyrian Jacquet held off Michael Geerts, securing a 6-3, 7(7)-6(3) victory to book his spot in the last four. Jacquet will now square up against Kopriva in the penultimate round while second and third seeds, Harris and Schoolkate, will go head to head for a spot in the final.

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