The best men’s tennis pair this year, Splićanin Mate Pavić i Salvadorac Marcelo Arevalothey failed to crown a great season with the title at ATP Finaland the winning trophy ended up in his hands Nijemac by Kevin Krawietz i Tima Puetza which they won in the final match with 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6).
It was the seventh meeting of these pairs this season, and the Germans won their fifth on Sunday. At the same time, in Turin’s Inalpa Arena, they defeated Pavićai Arevala twice in a week, both times in two sets.
In the final match, the details decided, because neither pair managed to reach the ‘break’ advantage. The Germans had the only chance to break in the seventh game of the first set, but Pavić and Arevalo got away.
Krawietz and Puetz, however, made fewer mistakes in both tie-breaks and were always ahead, so the title went to them and they became the first German couple to win it. The duel ended after 98 minutes of play, when Marcelo Arevalo missed the forehand volley on the second ball of the German pair.
For 32-year-old Krawietz and 36-year-old Puetz, this is the third joint title in the eighth final and the second this year from five final appearances. Until the triumph in Turin, they won the victory trophy only in Hamburg, this year and last year.
For Pavić and Arevala, this was the sixth final since they teamed up at the beginning of this season, and they finished the year with four won tournaments, as winners of Roland Garros and as the best pair in the world.
Mate Pavić remained at 39 titles, and this was the 72nd final in his career. The ATP Finals winner’s trophy remains one of the few that the 31-year-old from Split still hasn’t managed to add to his collection. Two years ago, he was also a finalist with Nikola Mekti.
– This was a great season for us, with a lot of titles. Unfortunately, we were a little short of winning this trophy as well. But when Marcelo and I started working together this season, we couldn’t have wished for a better year – said Mate Pavi. in a speech after the final.
– Thanks to Mata for playing with me and always giving her best on the field. The season was great, and I believe that the next one will be the same – said the 34-year-old Salvadoran tennis player.
Pavić and Arevalo ended the year with 7510 points, ahead Spaniard Granollers i Argentinca Zeballosa who collected 6500 of them. They finished in third place Nikola Mektić i Wesley Koolhof with 5930 points, and by winning the title in Turin, Krawietz and Puetz jumped from eighth place to fourth place with 5790 points.
Pavić and Arevalo are tied for first place among doubles players with 7510 points, while the third place is held by Australian Jordan Thompson with 6655 points. Nikola Mektić is sixth in that ranking with 5930 points.