The doubles campaign of Rishi Reddy and Ajeet Rai at the ITF M15 Hong Kong came to a close with a runner-up finish. The Indo-Kiwi pair went down 3-6 5-7 against the Japanese/Thai duo of Masabayashi and Suksumrarn in the final.

Rishi Reddy and Ajeet Rai (a New Zealander of Indian origin), had paired up for the tournament. Their contrasting styles made for an effective combination through the earlier rounds before they ran into a stiff challenge in the summit clash.

The opening set saw both teams competing hard. However, Masabayashi and Suksumrarn’s skills showed as they edged ahead to take the first set 6-3.

Reddy and Rai regrouped in the second set, raising their level. But their opponents found their range as the set wore on, gradually asserting control to secure the straight sets victory by clinching a closely-fought second set 7-5.

While the title eluded them, the runner-up finish was a creditable performance by Reddy and Rai at this ITF M15 event in Hong Kong. The duo will look to build on this experience in future tournaments on the ITF tour.