Om Verma and Zayyan Virani Complete Revenge to Claim J100 Accra Boys’ Doubles Crown
India’s Om Verma and Kenya’s Zayyan Virani brought the six-week World Tennis Junior Tour – Tennis Foundation Ghana Open series to a thrilling close on Saturday, October 10, 2026, delivering a statement victory to capture the Boys’ Doubles title at the J100 Accra tournament.
In a final worthy of the tournament’s grand finale, Verma and Virani produced a spirited performance to dethrone the defending champions, India’s Mannan Ashok Agarwal and Dev Vipul Patel, the top-seeded pair, winning 7-5, 3-6, 14-12 in a pulsating contest at the National Tennis Centre, Accra Sports Stadium.
It was more than a championship victory. It was a sweet measure of revenge.
Just a week earlier, Agarwal and Patel had denied Verma and Virani the J100 Accra Boys’ Doubles crown, defeating the Indian-Kenyan combination 6-1, 3-6, 10-4 in the final to lift the title.
This time, however, Verma and Virani turned the tables in spectacular fashion, demonstrating resilience, composure and determination to settle the score when the stakes were highest.
A FINAL THAT HAD EVERYTHING
The championship showdown began with both pairs displaying the quality and competitive spirit that had carried them to the final.
Verma and Virani edged the opening set 7-5, putting the top seeds under pressure and giving themselves an early advantage in the battle for the trophy.
Agarwal and Patel, however, showed why they had entered the final as the tournament’s leading pair. The defending champions regrouped impressively, taking the second set 6-3 to force a deciding match tie-break and keep their title defence alive.
With the championship hanging in the balance, the contest entered its most dramatic phase.
Neither pair was prepared to surrender, and every point carried enormous significance as the players battled for supremacy. Verma and Virani ultimately held their nerve in a tense deciding tie-break, edging the contest 14-12 to complete a memorable comeback and secure the championship.
The narrow margin of victory underlined the intensity of the encounter, with the champions showing the mental toughness required to overcome a formidable opponent on the biggest stage.
REVENGE SERVED IN STYLE
For Verma and Virani, the victory was particularly satisfying because of what had happened in the previous week’s final.
Having experienced the disappointment of losing to the same opponents, the pair returned with renewed determination and produced the response that champions are made of.
Their triumph also highlighted the unpredictable nature of junior tennis, where the difference between defeat and glory can come down to a handful of crucial points.
For Agarwal and Patel, the defeat brought their bid for back-to-back Boys’ Doubles titles to an end. Nevertheless, their run to another final confirmed the quality and consistency they had demonstrated throughout the Accra series.
A FITTING FINALE TO SIX WEEKS OF JUNIOR TENNIS
The Boys’ Doubles final provided a fitting conclusion to an intensive six-week programme of international junior tennis organised under the Tennis Foundation Ghana Open banner.
The series brought together young players from different countries, creating opportunities for international competition, player development and valuable ranking points on the World Tennis Junior Tour.
From the early J30 tournaments through the J60 events and the J100 competitions, Accra provided a platform for emerging talents to test themselves against international opposition and gain experience essential to their development.
The final between Verma and Virani and the Indian top seeds captured the spirit of the entire series: fierce competition, resilience, international friendship and the pursuit of excellence.
For Ghana, the successful staging of the series also reinforced Accra’s growing importance as a destination for international junior tennis, offering visiting players the opportunity to compete while showcasing the country’s capacity to host tournaments on the international junior circuit.
THE LAST WORD
As the six-week tennis journey reached its conclusion, Verma and Virani had the final say.
They arrived at the decisive moment with a score to settle and left with the championship trophy, turning last week’s disappointment into this week’s celebration.
One week after finishing runners-up, the Indian-Kenyan partnership completed its revenge in the most dramatic fashion imaginable.
Om Verma and Zayyan Virani: defeated last week, champions this week. A perfect ending to the J100 Accra Boys’ Doubles story.
Story by Achore Richard