Joe Salisbury, Wimbledon 2016
Joe Salisbury, Wimbledon 2016 | (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Joe Salisbury claims second Challenger doubles title of 2018

By Glenys Furness

  • Joe Salisbury with Frederik Nielsen claim the doubles title in Loughborough
  • Brit second ATP Challenger title of 2018
LOUGHBOROUGH, UK – Joe Salisbury teamed up with Frederik Nielsen at the inaugural ATP Challenger event. The pair had never played together previously before lifting the trophy.

 

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Joe Salisbury teamed up with 2012 Wimbledon doubles champion Frederik Nielsen at the inaugural ATP Challenger tournament and were seeded fourth.

Their first round opponents were Scott Clayton and Luke Johnson. The Brit/Dane made light work of the all British pairing, totally dominating each set. Clayton & Johnson were unable to handle the fourth seeds and only won two games all match. The seeds advanced 6-1, 6-1.

In the quarter-final the Brit/Dane were againstΒ Julian Ocleppo &Β Andrea Vavassori. The Italians kept toe to toe with the fourth seeds in the first set, breaking Salisbury & Nielsen to edge ahead. In the second set the seeds regrouped and totally dominated, the Brit/Dane did not drop a game and levelled up. The match tiebreak that followed was close, but it was the seeds that edged it for a spot in the semi-final 5-7, 6-0, 10-8.

The semi-final saw the fourth seeds up against Robert Galloway & Nathaniel Lammons. The Americans fought hard in both sets, trying to beat the Brit/Dane. Each set was close and went to a tiebreak, however it was the seeds the prevailed in both tiebreaks to seal a spot in the final 7-6(6), 7-6(5).

In the final Salisbury & Nielsen were against the third seeds, Brits Luke Bambridge and Jonny O’Mara. In the battle of the Brits it was Bambridge & O’Mara who started better, getting the break on the Brit/Dane serve to take the set. The fourth seeds managed to re-group in the second set, and broke Bambridge & O’Mara to level up the match. In the match tiebreak, it was the fourth seeds who came out on top to lift the trophy and give Salisbury his second Challenger title of the year 3-6, 6-3, 10-4.

 

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Doubles Round Up

Billy Harris & George Houghton were defeated by Cem İlkel & Aldin Šetkić in the first round in Loughborough 7-6(6), 4-6, 14-12.

Marcus Willis with David Guez were defeated byΒ Julian Ocleppo &Β Andrea VavassoriΒ in the first round in Loughborough 6-3, 7-6(4)

Scott Duncan & Isaac Stoute were defeated by Luke Bambridge & Jonny O’Mara in the quarter-final in Loughborough 6-2, 6-4.

Dom Inglot with Franko Skugor were defeated by Steve Johnson & Sam Querrey in the quarter-final in Geneva 6-3, 6-4.

Ken Skupski & Neal Skupski were defeated byΒ Guillermo GarcΓ­a-LΓ³pez &Β Divij Sharan in the quarter-final in Lyon 6-7(7), 7-6(8), 10-8.

Anna Smith with Xenia Knoll were defeated by Mihaela Buzărnescu & Raluca Olaru in the semi-final in Strasbourg 7-5, 6-2.

Alexander Jhun & Brandon Murphy were defeated by Alexis Klegou & Francesco Vilardo in the semi-final in Tunisia 6-2, 7-6(6).

Toby Martin with Alen Rogic Hadzalic defeated Victor Gurevich & Maksim Tikhomirov in the final in Hungary 6-3, 6-2.

Joel Cannell with Vullnet Tashi were defeated by Valentin Guenther & Mats Rosenkranz in the semi-final in Turkey 6-3, 6-4.

Annabelle Lammas with Daniela Cozzi were defeated byΒ Mira Antonitsch & Johana Markova in the first round in Turkey 6-0, 6-0.

Tara Moore withΒ Caroline Werner were defeated byΒ Momoko Kobori & Ayano Shimizu in the first round in Japan 7-5, 6-3.

Freya Christie withΒ Victoria RodrΓ­guez were defeated byΒ Kim Da-Bin & Yu Min-Hwa in the quarter-final in Korea 6-2, 6-4.

Next week Brits play in Paris, Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Turkey, China & USA