Hrvatski tenisač Nikola Mektić and his partner, American Austin Krajicek, will not advance to the final of the ATP Masters 1000 clay-court tournament in Rome. The semifinal match was marred by rain, causing several interruptions. In the end, Spanish player Marcel Granollers and Argentinian Horacio Zeballos emerged victorious with a score of 6-7(10), 7-5, 10-2.
In the first set, both pairs held their service games firmly, leading to a dramatic tie-break. Mektić and Krajicek narrowly edged out the tie-break 12-10, taking the first set 1-0.
The second set saw Granollers and Zeballos making a comeback by breaking serve early and maintaining their lead until 4-3. Despite Mektić and Krajicek leveling the score with a break of their own, Granollers and Zeballos managed to break again at 5-5 and eventually secured the set at 7-5.
In the deciding tie-break of the third set, Granollers and Zeballos completely dominated, winning seven points in a row after an initial 3-2 deficit to secure their spot in the final.
This was a tough loss for Mektić and Krajicek, but they showed great resilience. Still, Granollers and Zeballos were simply too strong in the crucial moments. What do you think about the rain interruptions?