ATP: Alexander Peya misses the title in Munich with Nikola Mektic

Alexander Peya missed his 19th tournament success on the ATP Tour: The Austrian lost the Munich final against Rajeev Ram and Ivan Dodig 3:6 and 5:7 at Nikola Mektic’s side.

By Jens Huiber from Munich

At least from the double finale the unoccupied ball children were allowed to catch a few free glimpses – otherwise a healthy austerity has arrived at the final weekend of the ATP World Tour 250 tournament in Munich. Sold out ranks, everyone to your seats, please.

Alexander Peya’s was comparatively free, the Austrian veteran even exchanged rallies with his partner Nikola Mektic during the rally. Outrageous, actually. However, after final opponents Ivan Dodig and Rajeev Ram showed a great urge to move, the security staff saw no reason to intervene. Ram and Dodig had the better end for themselves, they won the championship against Isar with a 6:3, 7:5 victory.

When Alexander Peya enters a court on the ATP tour these days, there is a good chance that there is a man on the other side of the net with whom the Viennese has already performed together. This was the case in the semi-final with Lukasz Kubot, in the final Rajeev Ram. Peya celebrated his 17th tournament victory with the American in Shenzhen last year, the last to date in Marrakech this year with Mektic.

In the semi-final, Ram and Dodig were the first doubles team ever to show Jan-Lennard Struff and Tim Pütz their limits, very tight limits, the German Davis Cup double only scored four games. Mektic and Peya did not equalize this balance until the second set, however, when the Austrian had to give up his serve for 3:5 in round one.

In the second set Mektic/Peya played, missed two set points at 5:4 and Ram serve. Not always, but unfortunately sometimes such a thing takes revenge: Peya made a foot mistake in the following game at 30:30, was able to fend off the first break point, but Dodig nailed the second one into the field. After 78 minutes the first common title for Ram and Dodig was in dry cloths.

Comfort was quickly at Alexander Peya’s side: he brought his two sons to the award ceremony on the Center Court.

Here the double tableau in Munich