Kontinen/Peers Clinch Munich Title
Kontinen/Peers Clinch Munich Title
The Finnish-Australian pair had their toughest match of the week in the championship
Henri Kontinen and John Peers clinched their second title of 2016 at the BMW Open by FWU AG on Sunday in Munich. The third seeds survived a tight championship match over second seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, 6-3, 3-6, 10-7.
Very little separated the two teams in the opening set, with Kontinen and Peers winning 25 points compared to 23 for Cabal and Farah. A lone break of serve was all Kontinen and Peers needed to take the set. In the second set, the Colombians saved all four break points against them and utilized their only break point opportunity to bring the championship to a Match Tie-break.
The Finnish-Australian duo saved their best tennis for the final stages of the match. Landing 89 per cent of their first serves in play, they continued to put pressure on their opponents and eventually clinched the title.
“We played them two weeks ago in Monte-Carlo and we knew it was going to be a tough match. They’re a very tough team, especially on clay courts, and they never let you off easy,” said Kontinen. “We came into the match knowing we were going to have to work hard and that it was going to be a tough battle, but we played well when it mattered most.
Peers added, “This week tested us mentally and it was great to be able to put on a good performance. We’ve been starting to play some good tennis over the last few weeks and putting together a really good partnership. If we can carry this form through, it could be a fun couple of weeks leading into the French.
This is Kontinen’s first title in Munich, while Peers previously won this event in 2014 with Colin Fleming. Kontinen is 8-3 in ATP World Tour finals, while Peers improves to 8-10. They took home €25,070 and 250 points.
Cabal and Farah were looking for their third ATP World Tour title of 2016, having won this February in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. Farah is 6-10 in finals, while Cabal dropped to 6-12. The pair leave Munich with €13,170 and 150 points.
Both teams are competing next at the Mutua Madrid Open. Kontinen and Peers play Alexandr Dolgopolov and Bernard Tomic in the first round, while Cabal and Farah take on Thomaz Bellucci and Leonardo Mayer in their opening match.