Tashkent Challenger: Leander Paes-Andre Begemann suffer defeat in final

Tashkent: India’s Leander Paes and his German partner Andre Begemann went down fighting against local hero Denis Istomin and Mikhail Elgin of Russia in the doubles final of the ninth edition of the $125000 Tashkent ATP Challenger on Friday. The third seeded Indo-German pair lost 4-6, 2-6 to Elgin and Istomin at the Olympic Tennis School in Uzbekistan. [caption id=“attachment_3052656” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File photo of Leander Paes of India and his doubles partner Andre Begemann of Germany. Getty[/caption] The final lasted just over an hour and Paes-Begemann were broken four times in the match. Though they created four breaking opportunities of their own, they could only convert one of them. The Indo-German pair’s service let them down in the second set, with a combined four double faults between them, and six overall in the match. With the win, Istomin and Elgin have bagged 125 ATP points and $7750 while the runners-up got $4,500 and 75 points. Istomin also placed himself in line for the double crown reaching the finals in the singles. He will clash with fifth seeded Konstantin Kravchuk of Russia in the final. Paes had won Biella event with Begemann and the Busan tournament with Sam Groth early in the season. The veteran Indian is yet to win a title, an ATP World Tour this season. This is his third runners-up finishes after Winston-Salem and St Petersburg. (With inputs from agencies)