Behar/Escobar Clinch Belgrade Title

Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar captured their first ATP Tour title of the season Saturday, downing top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic 6-2, 3-6, 10-7 at the Serbia Open.

The Uruguayan-Ecuadorian team lost in the Belgrade final last season, but ensured they wouldn’t suffer more heartbreak this week, raising their level in the Match Tie-break to triumph after 83 minutes in an entertaining final.

The unseeded duo won 75 per cent (24/32) of their first-serve points against the Croatians and dropped just one set en route to the title.

With their victory, the pair has now clinched three tour-level trophies together after they captured crowns in Delray Beach and Marbella last season. Earlier this year, Behar and Escobar advanced to the championship match at the Adelaide International 2, falling to Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski.

Mektic and Pavic were aiming to clinch their first tour-level title since they won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in July. The top seeds won a tour-leading nine titles in 2021, but have struggled to find their best form in 2022.