Arjun Kadhe and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan, India’s top doubles pair, have advanced to the final of the €74,825 Challenger tennis tournament in Murcia, Spain. The duo defeated Francisco Cabral and Henrique Rocha of Portugal 6-4, 7-6(4) in a thrilling semifinal match.
Kadhe and Nedunchezhiyan started the match strongly, breaking their opponents’ serve in the opening game. They maintained their advantage throughout the first set, eventually winning it 6-4. The second set was a closer affair, with both teams holding serve until the tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Kadhe and Nedunchezhiyan proved to be the more clinical pair, winning it 7-4 to seal the victory.
The Indian pair will now face the top seeds, Theo Arribage of France and Victor Cornea of Romania, in the final. Arribage and Cornea are a formidable team, having won multiple Challenger titles together. However, Kadhe and Nedunchezhiyan will be confident of their chances, having already defeated the second seeds in the quarterfinals.
If Kadhe and Nedunchezhiyan can win the final, it will be a major boost for their careers. They are currently ranked 104th in the world in doubles, and a victory in Murcia would see them move into the top 100. It would also be a significant achievement for Indian tennis, as it would be the first time an Indian pair has won a Challenger title in over a decade.
