Dubai: The unseeded pair of Maxime Cressy of the United States and Fabrice Martin of France won the doubles title in the ATP Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship. In the final on Saturday, they overcame third seeds Lloyd Glasspool of Great Britain and Harri Heliovaara of Finland 7-6, 6-4 in one hour and 25 minutes.
Cressy and Martin, who teamed up for the first time, fought back from a break down to win the first set. They were rarely troubled in the second set and ran out winners against Glasspool and Heliovaara, who had not dropped a set in the tournament.
The Dubai title is Martin’s eighth tour-level triumph but his first since 2021, while it is the maiden tour-level doubles crown for the 25-year-old. He had won his maiden ATP Tour singles title in Newport last year.
In Friday’s semifinals, Glasspool and Heliovaara stunned top-seeded Croatians Nicola Mektic and Mate Pavic 6-4, 6-2. The Cressy-Martin combo downed qualifiers Sander Gille and Joran Vleigen of Belgium 5-7, 7-6, 10-7.
Winners of three titles, Glasspool and Heliovaara enjoyed a career-best season last year, making the semifinals of the ATP Finals. Having won in Adelaide, the two were looking to collect their second trophy of this season in Dubai, but the Paris-born American Cressy and the Bayonne-born Frenchman Martin were too good for them.
