It could not be. Just like what happened to them in the last edition of the ATP Finalsthe last one that was held in London, Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos were one final step away in this year’s, the first of the new headquarters, the Pala Alpitour in Turin. The Spaniard and the Argentine, fourth favorites, fell in two sets (6-3 y 6-4) against the third, the French champions in 2019 and winners of five Grand Slams, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolás Mahut.
They will be the ones who fight for the title against the American Rajeev Ram and the British Joe Salisburywho came back to get rid of the first favorites, the number one duo in the world formed by the Croatians, in a much more disputed match Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic (4-6, 7-6 (3) and 10-4).
Granollers and Zeballos had beaten Herbert and Mahut in their only two meetings until these Finals, both in 2021, on the sand of the Mutua Madrid Open and on the hard court of Acapulco. But on this occasion, the French duo, more accomplished (they have been together for more than six years), was superior. The first set was difficult for the Spanish-Argentine couple because of a ball from Herbert that went in narrowly.another that got caught in the net and Granollers could not return and due to two inopportune double faults by Zeballos.
Good season
In the second sleeve, The break came for 4-3, but the losers’ suffering to maintain serve had already begun in the first game.And the fact is that they didn’t have a single breaking point. Maybe next time. They say goodbye to the course with two titles, in the Masters 1,000 in Madrid and Cincinnati, and two finals, in Acapulco and Wimbledon. Zeballos finishes as number six in doubles and Granollers is number seven.