Yuki Bhambri, Albano Olivetti secure final berth at Chengdu Open 2024
Third seeds Yuki Bhambri and Albano Olivetti made their way through to the final of the Chengdu Open 2024. On Monday, September 23, the Indo-French pair defeated Brazil’s Rafael Matos and Croatia’s Ivan Dodig 6-3, 7-6 (11-9) on Centre Court.
They will next be up against the top-seeded French pair of Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul in the grand finale on Tuesday, September 24, at the Sichuan International Tennis Centre.
Doumbia and Reboul, on the other hand, came back from a set down to beat Australia’s John-Patrick Smith and Miguel Angel Varela 4-6, 6-3, 12-10 in the semi-final.
Bhambri, Olivetti clinical in semi-final
Bhambri and Olivetti looked at ease for the most part of their semi-finals against Matos and Dodig. In the first set, they converted a break point to have the last laugh. Their opponents also got a breakpoint opportunity in the match, but failed to convert it.
Matos and Dodig fought hard in the second set, somehow managing to take it into a tie-breaker. They kept Bhambri and Olivetti on their toes with the scoreline reading 9-9, before throwing in the towel.
Bhambri and Olivetti started their campaign in an impressive manner, beating Adam Walton and Toshihide Matsul in straight sets in the Round of 16. In the quarterfinal, they rallied back from a set down to take down the Ecuadorian pair of Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo.
Bhambri and Olivetti won the match 5-7, 6-3, 12-10. They carried their form into the semi-final, although they had to fight their way out in the last set. It remains to be seen if they can beat top-seed Doumbia and Reboul in the all-important final.
Earlier this year, Bhambri also played in the US Open 2024 men’s doubles along with Olivetti, but crashed out in the Round of 16 after losing in straight sets to Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.