Lexington, August 9: Indian player Niki Kalyanda Poona and Ecuador’s Gonzalo Escobar showcased an impressive performance to win the men’s doubles title at the Lexington Open. After dropping a set, the duo made a remarkable comeback.
The third-seeded pair defeated the American team of Andre Ilagan and Karl Polling with a score of 6-7 (1), 6-3, 11-9 in the final held in Lexington, Kentucky. The match lasted one hour and 42 minutes. This victory marks Poona’s 11th ATP Challenger doubles title and his fifth title of the 2026 season. It is also the first title for Poona and Escobar together on the ATP Challenger circuit.
The 31-year-old Indian player had previously won the ‘Open Sopra Steria de Lyon’ title in June with Thailand’s Pruchya Isaro. Earlier this year, he also claimed titles at the ‘Bengaluru Open 2 ATP Challenger 50’ with Saket Maineni, and at the ‘Menorca ATP Challenger 100’ and ‘Chennai ATP Challenger 50’ with Isaro.
In the first set, the Indo-Ecuadorian pair secured an early break in the fourth game but fell behind after losing their serve in the seventh game. In the tie-break, Poona and Escobar struggled to find their rhythm and lost the first set 6-7. However, they bounced back in the second set, breaking their opponents in the third game. They maintained their lead throughout the set and secured another crucial break in the ninth game, pushing the match to a super tie-break.
During the super tie-break, neither team could establish a lead of more than two points, keeping the competition tight. At one point, Poona and Escobar found themselves on the brink of defeat at a score of 7-9. However, they rallied back, winning four consecutive points to turn the match around, saving two match points along the way, and ultimately clinching the title.
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