Paes-Damm fail to win Ordina Open final

NEW DELHI: Top seeds Leander Paes and his Czech partner Martin Damm failed to clinch their second successive Ordina Open title, losing 6-3 6-7 (5) 10-12 to third seeds Jeff Coetzee and Rogier Wassen in the finals at 'S-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.

The defending champions squandered a one-set lead, while Coetzee and Wassen saved two match points in the one hour 27 minute battle to bag their second ATP title of the season.

Making an impressive start, the Indo-Czech pair clinched the opener with ease, hitting 29 winners and sending down nine aces.

However, Coetzee and Wassen came back to pocket the second set in the tie breaker after Paes and Damm failed to convert any of the three break points that came their way.

The top seeds could not recover after that as Coetzee and Wassen held their nerves to seal the match and the title in the super tie-breaker.

The Indo-Czech pair was solid with its serve combining for 20 aces and never faced a break in the match but was undone by its poor break point conversion.

The defending champions managed to break the third seeds only once out of the eight chances they got.

Paes and Damm have so far won two of the three ATP finals this year. They had earlier won the titles in Rotterdam and ATP Masters Series Indian Wells.

They were runner-up in Doha and ATP Masters Series Miami.