Siddhant Banthia and Alexander Donski Claim Doubles Title at…

Siddhant Banthia and Alexander Donski won the men’s doubles title at the Rwanda Challenger 2025 in Kigali, defeating Geoffrey Blancaneaux and Zdenek Kolar in a closely contested match. This victory marked Banthia’s first ATP Challenger title. Banthia and Donski demonstrated impressive skill by saving breakpoints and firing aces throughout the tournament, while India’s top seed experienced a shocking early exit.

In a remarkable display of skill, India’s Siddhant Banthia and Bulgarian partner Alexander Donski secured the men’s doubles title at the Rwanda Challenger 2025 tournament held in Kigali on Saturday. The fourth-seeded duo triumphed over the third seeds, Geoffrey Blancaneaux and Zdenek Kolar, with a close victory of 6-4, 5-7, 10-8, marking their inaugural ATP Challenger title as a team.

The final match was tightly contested, with both pairs maintaining serve through the initial eight games. Banthia and Donski broke their opponents in the ninth game, ultimately serving to win the first set without dropping a game. The second set saw a similar dynamic, with Blancaneaux and Kolar breaking at a crucial moment to level the match and force a super tiebreaker.

In the super tiebreaker, Banthia and Donski initially led 6-4 before their rivals surged ahead at 8-7. Nevertheless, the Indian-Bulgarian tandem secured the final three points, concluding the match in just one hour and 37 minutes. Throughout the contest, they excelled, firing seven aces and successfully defending against six of seven breakpoints.

Earlier in the tournament, Banthia and Donski displayed their prowess in the semi-finals, defeating wildcard entrants Alafia Ayeni and Luka Pavlovic with a scoreline of 6-4, 6-3 after overcoming unseeded opponents in their first two rounds. In a contrasting outcome, India’s top-seeded players, Niki Poonacha and Zimbabwe’s Courtney John Lock, faced an unexpected first-round defeat against unseeded French duo Corentin Denolly and Clement Tabur.

Siddhant Banthia and Alexander Donski achieved a significant milestone by winning the men’s doubles title at the Rwanda Challenger 2025, marking their first title together on the ATP Challenger circuit. Their victory came after a challenging match against Blancaneaux and Kolar, showcasing their resilience and skill. Meanwhile, the unexpected exit of top-seeded Poonacha and Lock highlights the unpredictability of the tournament.

Original Source: www.olympics.com