![[2] Finn Reynolds (NZL) and James Watt (NZL) v [1] Fernando Romboli (BRA) and John-Patrick Smith (AUS)](https://www.cmtennisworld.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Newport-1080x675.jpg)
Missing out on defending their doubles title in Cary cost Finn Reynolds and James Watt a few places in the rankings, but any wins in Newport would help offset that, as they had lost in the first round of the only North American grass tournament last year. Reaching the final, even though they were seeded to do so, was a bonus, but the match against the top seeds, Fernando Romboli and left-hander John-Patrick Smith, would not be easy.
Watt served first, and the only point he lost was to a beautiful forehand winner through the middle of the court from Romboli. Reynolds was the star when the Brazilian served next, hitting a lovely forehand return through the right-hand side of the court before creating a break point with a gorgeous cross-court backhand winner. Smith saved that with a forehand volley at the net, but a fabulous cross-court backhand return from Reynolds on the deciding point forced Romboli to hit a forehand wide.
Reynolds then cruised through the next game to consolidate the break, but his fellow left-hander was in trouble next up when he hit a double fault to give away a break point after Watt had demolished his previous serve with a terrific backhand return through the left-hand side of the court. Smith lost the game when he was forced to hit an inside-out backhand wide, and Watt held easily again to have the prospect of a bagel dangling tantalisingly in front of the New Zealanders.
That disappeared when Romboli held to love after Smith started the game with a fabulous forehand volley down the left side of the court, but it still left Reynolds serving for the set. He won the great rally on his second point with a beautiful overhead volley, but the fantastic rally which came next was just the first of a full handful of such exchanges. It ended after ten shots with another winning volley from Smith at the net, but Watt wrapped up the set after 23 minutes with an ace to Romboli and an unreturnable serve to Smith.
The left-handers kicked off the second set, Smith holding comfortably before we saw the best rally in the match when Reynolds served. This one lasted for 17 shots until Reynolds was forced to rebound a forehand volley over the baseline, and he was forced to send a backhand volley long as well to give away a deuce. An unreturnable serve to Smith took care of the deciding point, but Romboli aced Watt twice down the middle on the way to holding serve again.
Watt held to love, the standout in that game being the shot of the match, a wonderful angled forehand drop shot that I honestly thought wasn’t going to clear the net. Smith also got through without dropping a point, the highlight there being a beautiful forehand volley down the tramlines from his partner, while the only hiccup in Reynolds’ next game was when he was forced to leave a backhand volley short of the net.
Watt started Romboli’s next game with a beautiful forehand volley down the middle, and Reynolds added a lovely cross-court backhand return, but those were the only points they won. Watt’s next game was much more stop-start, as he lost each point when he served to Smith. The first of those saw a fabulous forehand return down the tramlines, with the second being a double fault and the third a mistake by Watt when he hit a forehand into the net. Once again, though, an unreturnable serve to Smith took care of the deciding point.
Smith then held to love before Watt had to stretch heavenwards to hit a fabulous overhead volley as Reynolds held again, with the latter then winning another fantastic rally on Romboli’s opening point with an overhead volley of his own. He took them to deuce with a beautiful backhand winner down the tramlines, and another amazing rally on the deciding point was ended by a gorgeous inside-out forehand volley from Smith.
The wonderful rallies didn’t end there, as there was yet another in Watt’s game as he tried to force a tie-break. That ended in favour of Romboli when the Brazilian smashed away the winning volley, but all that did was save the first game point. Smith’s forehand return of the second went into the net, and that was also where he dumped an overhead volley to lose his first serve in the tie-break.
He made up for that with a terrific cross-court forehand return of Reynolds’ first serve that landed on the sidelines, and the top seeds got the advantage as they went to the change of ends when Romboli hit an easy backhand volley to win Watt’s first point. The New Zealanders lost his second point as well when Reynolds swung an angled backhand volley wide to lose a great short rally, and an overhit backhand from Watt gave away four set points. An inside-out forehand volley from Romboli wrapped it all up after 50 minutes.
Watt served first in the match tie-break, and lost the great rally on his opening point when he hit a forehand volley into the net. He made up for that by hitting a great return to force Romboli into a backhand error on the last point before they changed ends, and the New Zealanders went ahead when Reynolds hit a beautiful forehand return into the tramlines off Smith.
Reynolds then won both his serves, either side of the second change of ends, and Romboli won his first when Watt was forced to lob a forehand over the baseline. He lost his second, though, to a fabulous inside-out forehand return into the tramlines from Reynolds, and that gave the New Zealanders three Championship points. One was all they needed, another great serve from Watt forcing Smith to lob his backhand return over the baseline. The final score was 6-1, 6-7 (2), 10-6, ad the match had lasted for an hour and 32 minutes.
The win was the eighth Challenger title for Reynolds, and the sixth for Watt (and the partnership), but it was the biggest in their career for both players. It also moved them back up the ATP points list to be equal to their career-high rankings. They do have another title to defend this week, at Granby in Canada, but the only other points they have to defend in North America are a quarter-final in Chicago and a semi-final in Cancun, as they lost in the first round of their two tournaments that followed Granby last year.