Balaji-Escobar through to Braunschweig Challenger final

N Sriram Balaji of India and his partner Gonzalo Escobar of Ecuador have advanced to the men's doubles final at the Brawo Open in Braunschweig, Germany on Friday.

The top-seeded pair are now a win away from winning the title.

In the semi-finals, Balaji and Escobar faced the fourth-seeded Ukrainian pairing of Denys Molchanov and Dutch Matwé Middelkoop.

The Indo-Ecuadorian pair cruised past their opponents 6-3 to win in the first set, followed by a tight 7-6(3) victory in the second set.

This dominating performance was marked by their seven aces while conceding none.

The pair will now compete against the second-seeded Dutch team of Sander Arends and Robin Haase for the title.

Arends and Haase also advanced to the final with a comprehensive straight-set 6-4, 6-4 victory over Argentina's Guido Andreozzi and Mexican Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela in their semi-final match.

This sets up a challenging final for Balaji and Escobar, who will need to remain composed and maintain their momentum.

Balaji-Escobar so far

Balaji and Escobar's journey to the final has been impressive.

They began their campaign with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Boris Arias and Federico Zeballos in the Round of 16.

In the quarter-finals, they delivered another commanding performance, defeating Marcelo Demoliner and Guillermo Durán 6-4, 6-2.

Their semi-final victory over Molchanov and Middelkoop has set the stage for an exciting final match.

A win in the Brawo Open would be a significant boost for Sriram Balaji, who is set to compete in the upcoming Paris Olympics in the men's doubles event alongside veteran Rohan Bopanna.

The experience on the clay courts of Stade Roland Garros will be invaluable as they prepare for the Olympics.

Balaji and Escobar are now focused on securing the title and building on their successful run in the Brawo Open, aiming for glory in the finals.