Britain’s Joe Salisbury backed up the achievement of becoming doubles world number one by winning the Monte Carlo Masters with US partner Rajeev Ram.
The top seeds beat sixth seeds Juan-Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, of Colombia, 6-4 3-6 10-7.
In a clinical display, Salisbury excelled both at the net and with overheads, ably supported by Ram’s powerful serving and volleying.
Salisbury and Ram claimed their first clay title as a pairing.
They produced a dominant display in the first set, but their level dipped in the second as Cabal and Farah stepped up the pressure, breaking serve after a shot came off the net cord, hitting Ram in the groin.
The match tie-break brought high-quality tennis from both pairs, as Ram and Salisbury built up a lead after breaking the Colombians twice.
In a tight finish, Ram wavered on championship point, but steadied to close out on their third attempt.
“It’s a first title on clay together and it’s a surface that we thought was a weaker one for us. We worked well together,” said Salisbury in his on-court interview.
“I’ve got the best player in the world on my team – that helps,” added Ram.
Salisbury and Ram are the top seeds next week at the Barcelona Open.
