NEW DELHI: Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan ended a runner-up on the ATP Challenger Tour for the fourth time this season after he and Austin Krajicek frittered away a solid start to lose the Nature Valley Open final to Frederik Nielsen and Joe Salisbury in Nottingham.
Playing his fifth final of the season, the Chennai boy and his American partner lost 6-7(5) 1-6 to their unseeded opponents in the Euro 127,000 grass court event.
Nedunchezhiyan had won the Dallas Challenger with Christopher Rungkant, beating Leander Paes and Joe Salisbury early in the season.
But he ended runner-up at Lille (with Purav Raja), at Tallahassee (with Enrique Lopez Perez in April) and at Savannah (with Lopez Perez).
After racing to 4-1 lead following a break in the second game, Krajicek dropped serve while serving for the set at 5-3.
That break of serve shifted the momentum.
Jeevan and Krajicek earned 75 points each and split 4570 euro.