ATP Tour

Bolelli/Vavassori win Rome, become first Italian champions in Open Era

Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori became the first Italian team to lift the trophy at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in the Open Era on Sunday, when they battled past Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 7-6(8), 3-7(3), 10-3.

Bolelli and Vavassori saved four set points in the first set, rallying from 3-5 to lead. After being clawed back in the second set by the second seeds Granollers and Zeballos, the seventh seeds blitzed winners, made their moves at the right moments and found some incredible defence in the Match Tie-break to earn a thrilling two-hour, 19-minute win.

"It is an amazing feeling," Bolelli said. "To be the winner of our hometown tournament is a dream come true. We are very happy. The match was really tight until the end against one of the strongest teams in the world. I am very happy for me, my partner and all the team."

Following their win in front of a lively home crowd, Vavassori dropped to his back, before he rose to embrace partner Bolelli. Jannik Sinner will aim to make it an Italian double later on Sunday on Campo Centrale when he plays Casper Ruud in the singles final.

"We are going to cheer for Jannik," Bolelli said when asked about Sinner. "But I think he is in good shape, so he has a good chance to win."

Bolelli and Vavassori have now won two ATP Masters 1000 titles together this year, having defeated Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten in Miami in March. They also won the crown at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam.

"I think we played one of the best matches we have ever played against one of the strongest teams of the last year," Vavassori said. "They are playing unbelievably. I am really proud. It has been a long way to come here and I am really proud of my partner and what we have been through."

In a hard-fought week in Rome, the Italians also won Match Tie-breaks against Yuki Bhambri and Michael Venus and Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski. They also recorded straight-set victories against Andre Goransson and Evan King and top seeds Heliovaara and Patten. Bolelli and Vavassori are up to third in the PIF ATP Doubles Teams Rankings.

Granollers and Zeballos were trying to become just the third team in the Open Era (since 1969) to win three Rome doubles titles, joining Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan and Brian Gottfried and Raul Ramirez. The Spanish-Argentine team triumphed in the Italian capital in 2020 and 2024. They are still searching for their first trophy of the season.