The Italian pair Daniel-Alejandro Lopez and Matteo Trevisan won the boys’ doubles title after a tense match tiebreak against the Czech and Slovakian combination of Roman Jebavy and Martin Klizan, 7-6 (7-5), 2-6 (10-8).
Both pairs had had to play their semi-finals earlier in the day. Jevbavy and Klizan defeated the all-Dutch pairing of Thomas Schoorel and Tim Van Der Terheijden 7-5, 6-2. The Italians had a tough battle against Americans Donald Young and Johnny Hamui before winning 6-3, 2-6 (10-3).
The final was dominated by the servers as the opening set eventually reached 6-6. In the tiebreak the Czech and Slovakian pair raced to a 4-1 lead but the Italians edged back, getting the tiebreak back with serve. They miraculously kept their composure, reeling off three very important points late on to take the set 7-6 (7-5).
In a tense start to the second set, it was a do-or-die situation for Jebavy and Klizan who worked hard to break the Italians’ opening service game with their aggressive and dominating net play.
The Italians could have evened things out as they had break point opportunities. But they were stopped by the resurgent Czech and Slovakian who kept their early break advantage throughout the set to level the match 6-4.
The final match tie-break was where the 2007 champions would be decided. A stray volley from Lopez allowed Jebavy and Klizan the first mini-break but it was quickly cancelled out soon after by the determined Italians.
Both teams were fighting for their lives and the match swung from one pair to the other. The pressure was on at 8-8. Trevisan served and rallied from the baseline off his serve to win the first match point for the Italians. And it was Lopez who fired them to victory with two huge backhands that his opposite number was unable to control, allowing the Italians to win 10-8.
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