Foro Italico, Bolelli and Vavassori win the final on the super tiebreak: the first in Rome

Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori reached the final in Rome for the first time in their history, beating American Chris Harrison and Briton Neal Skupski (seeded number 4) 7-6, 3-6, 10-6. The Azzurri showed their usual quality of play alongside great personality. In the first set they were trailing 3-5, but they did not disband and gave the break back to their opponents, drawing level. The first killer point of the match, on the opponent's serve, decreed the arrival to a hard-fought tiebreak in which the Italians were more concrete and precise, closing 11-9 at the fifth set point. A smash into the net by Harrison (who then threw his racket to the ground, submerged by the whistles) and a double fault were propitious for the Italian pair (who had already prevailed over the two in Miami at the end of March).

At the opening of the second set, however, Vavassori broke his serve and the others quickly went to 3-0: a disadvantage that this time was not reduced, and the partial - with the umbrellas in the stands closing and reopening under the fluttering drops - ended 6-3. This was the moment of the super tiebreak, in which they went head-to-head (with several errors) until 5-2; then a winning forehand response and two great forehands by Bolelli brought the Italians to 8-5. Skupski could not withstand the pressure and committed a lethal double fault that gave the Italians four match points. The first one went up in smoke with a long defensive forehand by Vavassori, who then, at the serve, hit a great forehand: response into the net, victory and embrace of the Italians. Tomorrow the last match to lift the trophy with Granollers and Zeballos.