First-Time Team Zelenay/Sharan Win St. Petersburg Title

Divij Sharan/Igor Zelenay might have to give this playing doubles together thing a try more often. The Indian/Slovakian pairing, playing together for the first time, won the St. Petersburg Open doubles title on Sunday, beating the all-Italian squad of Matteo Berrettini/Simone Bolelli 6-3, 3-6, 10-8.

The Italians broke twice in the opener, but Sharan/Zelenay rebounded with a late break in the second and captured their first match point in the Match Tie-break. The team moved to 4-0.

“I really like this tournament,” Sharan said. “It’s great to have lifted the title here.”

Sharan improved to 5-2 in doubles finals, and Zelenay won his first ATP Tour doubles title (1-4). They will receive 250 ATP Doubles Rankings points and split $66,740 in prize money.

“It’s a great feeling because this is my first ATP title. So I was waiting too long for it,” Zelenay said. “We played well all week.”

Berrettini/Bolelli were also playing in their first ATP Tour doubles final as a team. Berrettini fell to 2-1 in doubles finals, having won the St. Petersburg title last year with countryman Fabio Fognini and the 2018 Gstaad crown with Italy’s Daniele Bracciali. Bolelli is now 6-6 in ATP Tour doubles finals.

Berrettini/Bolelli will receive 150 ATP Doubles Rankings points and split $34,200 in prize money.