BARCLAYS ATP TENNIS WORLD TOUR FINALS MEN’S DOUBLES RESULTS BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 20th November 2016

BARCLAYS ATP TENNIS WORLD TOUR FINALS MEN'S DOUBLES RESULTS BY RICKY DIMON

Henri Kontinen and John Peers celebrate their win over Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram following the final of the Mens doubles at the ATP Tour tennis finals at the O2 Arena in London, Britain, 20 November 2016. EPA/ANDY RAIN |

Kontinen and Peers battles past Klaasen and Ram for title at Barclays ATP World Tour Finals

Henri Kontinen and John Peers capped off their amazing fall hot streak in the ideal way: with a title at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

Kontinen and Peers, who reached the final of the Shanghai Masters and won the Paris Masters earlier this month, completed an undefeated run through London by defeating Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram 2-6, 6-1, 10-8 in Sunday afternoon’s final. Making a debut together at the O2 Arena, the Finnish-Australian duo prevailed after one hour and 10 minutes.

But it was Klaasen and Ram who locked into their opponents’ serves at the beginning, earning a break point in the first game of the match. Although they were unable to capitalize on it, the first set was decided not long afterwards. Starting at 2-2, three consecutive games went to the decisive deuce point, with Klaasen and Ram sweeping the trio. They broke for 3-2, scraped out of a 15-40 deficit thanks to big serving by Ram, and broke again for 5-2. Klaasen served out the opener to 30 in the eighth game.

Kontinen and Peers, though, were quick to turn the tide in their favor. They won 12 of the first 14 points in the second set, a stretch that included a love break of Ram at 1-0. Stellar returning and a netted overhead by Klaasen led to the break for Kontinen and Peers. The set all but ended when Klaasen donated serve from 40-15 up at 0-3.

Ram survived a deuce point at 0-5 to avoid a bagel, but Kontinen closed out the set with a routine hold at 5-1. Thus the stage was set for a super-‘breaker to decided the title. As it turned out, it all came down to just one mini-break. Klaasen missed a major opportunity to earn one for his team at 7-6, when sent a sitting forehand sailing past the baseline. The only return point came with Klaasen serving at 8-8, when a big return by Peers forced Ram into an error off a backhand volley.

Peers clinched victory one point later with a well-placed first serve down the middle.

“Credit these guys,” Ram said of Kontinen and Peers. “They’ve been the best team on tour since after the U.S. Open. On that alone they definitely deserve to be in this position.”

“The overwhelming emotion is disappointment,” Klaasen added. “In a few days it will probably feel better…. It’s been a hell of a season for us.”

It was an even better season for Kontinen and Peers, who partnered for the first time thus year. Peers made it to the World Tour Finals in 2015 with Jamie Murray, while Kontinen had previously teamed up with Marin Draganja and Treat Huey. It is safe to say the new duo clicked.

“We said at the start of the season that our goal was to qualify for London,” Kontinen noted.

They did a lot more than that.