Chengdu Open 2024: Yuki Bhambri and Albano Olivetti go down against Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul in thrilling final

The third-seeded Indo-French duo of Yuki Bhambri and Albano Olivetti suffered a defeat to France's Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul in an intense final at the Chengdu Open 2024 on Tuesday (September 24). Held on Centre Court, the summit clash saw the top-seeded French pair win 6-4, 4-6, 10-4 to claim the title.

The final was well contested as expected, with the two pairs exchanging breaks and testing each other's nerves. The French duo of Doumbia and Reboul took the first set 6-4, relying on their superior first-serve percentage of 73% compared to Yuki Bhambri and Olivetti's 59%.

However, the Indo-French pair bounced back in the second set, riding on Olivetti’s serves that contributed to their six aces in the match, as opposed to only two by their opponents.

Despite struggling with six double faults, compared to Doumbia and Reboul's one, Yuki Bhambri and Olivetti held their composure to take the second set 6-4, setting the stage for a deciding match tiebreak. The Frenchmen had the edge in service points, winning 72% on their first serve compared to 67% for Bhambri and Olivetti.

Yuki Bhambri and Olivetti had their chances in the match tiebreak, but Doumbia and Reboul displayed remarkable character, managing to secure it 10-4 and with it, the title. The French pair’s ability to win key points under pressure, including a streak of four consecutive points, proved pivotal.

In total, Doumbia and Reboul won 68 points to Bhambri and Olivetti's 61. While both teams converted two of nine break points, the Frenchmen edged out their opponents in crucial moments.

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Yuki Bhambri and Albano Olivetti had an impressive run in the tournament

Yuki Bhambri of India and his French partner Albano Olivetti delivered a series of impressive performances en route to the Chengdu Open 2024 doubles final. In the semi-finals, they secured a hard-fought win against the second-seeded Brazilian-Croatian pair of Rafael Matos and Ivan Dodig. Bhambri and Olivetti triumphed 6-3, 7-6 (11-9) in a closely contested match, showcasing their resilience in crucial moments.

In the quarter-finals, they faced Ecuador’s Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo. Despite a challenging first set, the Indo-French duo rallied back to claim victory 5-7, 6-3, 12-10.

Earlier, they had registered a dominant straight-sets win in the Round of 16, where they defeated the Australian-Japanese duo of Adam Walton and Toshihide Matsui 6-3, 6-3.