In the $164,000 Challenger tennis tournament held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, the second-seeded duo of Diego Hidalgo and Miguel Reyes-Varela emerged victorious in the doubles final. The Ecuadorian-Mexican pair overcame the challenge of Sriram Balaji and Fernando Romboli of India and Brazil in a thrilling three-set encounter.
The match commenced with a closely contested first set that went into a tiebreaker. Balaji and Romboli managed to edge out Hidalgo and Reyes-Varela 7-6(2) in the tiebreaker, giving them an early advantage. However, the second set saw a resurgence from the second seeds. They broke their opponents’ serve twice and held their own service games comfortably to level the match at 6-4.
The third set proved to be the most intense and dramatic. Both teams traded breaks early on, but Hidalgo and Reyes-Varela managed to gain a crucial break in the 16th game. With the score at 18-16 in the super tiebreaker, the Ecuadorian-Mexican duo sealed the victory, securing the championship title.
Hidalgo and Reyes-Varela’s triumph earned them 125 ATP points and a prize money of $9,350. Balaji and Romboli, despite their valiant effort, received 75 points and $5,440.
The victory marks a significant achievement for Hidalgo and Reyes-Varela, who have been steadily climbing the doubles rankings. They have now won two Challenger titles together and will look to continue their success in future tournaments.
