Spoiler:
Marcus Daniell and Wesley Koolhof captured their maiden tour-level team title at the Brisbane International on Sunday, beating Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 6-4, 7-6(6).
The unseeded pairing, which made its debut at the Fever-Tree Championships in June 2018, was appearing in its second ATP Tour championship match, following its runner-up finish at the Intrum Stockholm Open (l. to Bambridge/O'Mara) last year. Daniell and Koolhof saved one set point at 5/6 in the second set tie-break before earning their 15th victory in 27 matches as a team after 87 minutes.
"We had a really big, deep chat at the end of 2018 about what we needed to work on individually and as a team to be a competitor for the Top 8 [at the Nitto ATP Finals] at the end of 2019," said Daniell. "I think we both went away and put a lot of time and effort into those things, and I think it's paying off."
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Following success in his 10th tour-level doubles final, Daniell improves to 4-6 in ATP Tour championship matches. Daniell previously lifted trophies at 2010 Auckland (w/Tecau), 2015 Montpellier (w/Sitak) and 2016 Stuttgart (w/Sitak). Koolhof also earns his fourth ATP Tour doubles trophy, having claimed three titles alongside countryman Matwe Middelkoop at 2016 Sofia, 2016 Kitzbuhel and 2017 Sydney.
"We played four very good, high-level matches," said Koolhof. "Every practice is [at a] high level as well. So [we want to] just keep going like this."
Ram and Salisbury were also aiming to lift their first team trophy. The fourth seeds, who were competing as a team for the first time this week, dropped just one set en route to the final.
Daniell and Koolhof collect 250 ATP Doubles Ranking points and share $29,860 in prize money for claiming the title. Ram and Salisbury receive 150 points and split $15,300.
The unseeded pairing, which made its debut at the Fever-Tree Championships in June 2018, was appearing in its second ATP Tour championship match, following its runner-up finish at the Intrum Stockholm Open (l. to Bambridge/O'Mara) last year. Daniell and Koolhof saved one set point at 5/6 in the second set tie-break before earning their 15th victory in 27 matches as a team after 87 minutes.
"We had a really big, deep chat at the end of 2018 about what we needed to work on individually and as a team to be a competitor for the Top 8 [at the Nitto ATP Finals] at the end of 2019," said Daniell. "I think we both went away and put a lot of time and effort into those things, and I think it's paying off."
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Following success in his 10th tour-level doubles final, Daniell improves to 4-6 in ATP Tour championship matches. Daniell previously lifted trophies at 2010 Auckland (w/Tecau), 2015 Montpellier (w/Sitak) and 2016 Stuttgart (w/Sitak). Koolhof also earns his fourth ATP Tour doubles trophy, having claimed three titles alongside countryman Matwe Middelkoop at 2016 Sofia, 2016 Kitzbuhel and 2017 Sydney.
"We played four very good, high-level matches," said Koolhof. "Every practice is [at a] high level as well. So [we want to] just keep going like this."
Ram and Salisbury were also aiming to lift their first team trophy. The fourth seeds, who were competing as a team for the first time this week, dropped just one set en route to the final.
Daniell and Koolhof collect 250 ATP Doubles Ranking points and share $29,860 in prize money for claiming the title. Ram and Salisbury receive 150 points and split $15,300.