Pau, France erupted in excitement as N. Sriram Balaji of India and Neil Oberleitner of Austria captured the men’s doubles title at the Terre de Pyrenees Open ATP Challenger 125. Top seeds throughout, they overcame a resilient second-seeded pair of Jacob Paul and Matej Vosel 6-1, 3-6, [13-11] after a pulsating super tie-break that lasted 77 minutes.
Blasting through the first set with powerful serves and impeccable volleying, the winners broke their rivals repeatedly to take a commanding lead. The second set turned into a battle, with the Swiss-Czech duo leveling scores at 3-3 and seizing control to push the match to its climax.
The decider was a nerve-shredder. Leading 4-1 in the tie-break, Balaji-Oberleitner faced a fierce comeback, surrendering a match point at 10-9. Displaying champion mentality, they held firm, saved the crucial point, and sealed victory on their third match point.
This is the third Challenger doubles title for the partnership this year, building on earlier successes in Bangkok’s Nonthaburi Challenger 2 and Manama’s Bahrain Open. Balaji now boasts 16 such titles in his career, enhancing his reputation post his Olympic stint with Rohan Bopanna in Paris 2024.
Dominating the week, they dispatched Martin de Bruin (USA) and Michael Vrbensky (CZE) in semis 7-5, 7-6(1), after cruising past lower seeds. Their momentum positions them perfectly for upcoming events, where fans can expect this dynamic duo to continue their golden run.