Bolelli and Vavassori champions in Rome

Champions of Rome! Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori beat the Spaniard Marcel Granollers and the Argentinean Horacio Zeballos in the final, the number 2 seed who had already triumphed twice at the Foro Italico. It was a historic victory - the first by an Italian pair at the Internazionali - suffered, brought home with the heart as well as the quality of the game: it ended 7-6 (9), 6-7 (3), 10-2.

The Italian pair went into an immediate disadvantage in the first set, on 1 draw, when Simone Bolelli gave up his service game and on 1-3 remained attached to the match by cancelling three break points (2-3), then caught up by playing with courage and aggressiveness. Vavassori's lightning-fast forehand response, on the killer point, decreed the 5-all tie.

It was a point-to-point fight until the tiebreak, which was very even and full of twists and turns. The opponents procured two set points with a great response from Zeballos but the Italians cancelled them, and it was 6-all. The Italians had to cancel another before turning the second at their disposal. It ended 10-9 and they won the set with the most spectacular point of the match, a long exchange at the net ended with a forehand volley by Simone.

Under the constant noise of the helicopter (the Rome-Lazio derby was being played at the Stadio Olimpico), Bolelli and Vavassori were unable to exploit two break points on 15-40 and the subsequent killer point at the opening of the second set, then in turn saved themselves from a very dangerous double break point of 1-3, bringing the score to 2 even thanks to two fine first serves by Bolelli. They proceeded on serve in a match that also went up in quality, with fine play on both sides.

Then at 5-6, with Simone at bat, the opponents went to 15-40: two set points were cancelled but there was still one more, that of the killer point, solved with a winning first by Simone. It is 6-all. A tiebreak separated the Azzurri from a historic success. But the Argentine and the Spaniard started it perfectly, quickly going ahead 4-1, then 6-3. There are three more set points and this time the first is enough for them.