San Jose's Novikov wins Challenger doubles title

   Dennis Novikov continued his outstanding doubles play this week.
   The 21-year-old San Jose resident teamed with Julio Peralta of Chile to win the doubles title in the $50,000 Tallahassee (Fla.) Challenger on Saturday.
   They beat Somdev Devvarman and Sanam Singh of India 6-2, 6-4 on green clay in a matchup of unseeded teams.
   In the previous two weeks, also on clay, Novikov reached the semifinals of the Sarasota (Fla.) Challenger with Tennys Sandgren and the final of the Savannah (Ga.) Challenger with Peralta. 
   Counting Futures tournaments, Novikov has played in four doubles finals this year, winning two. 
   Novikov lost in the second round of singles in Tallahassee to American Mitchell Krueger 6-1, 6-4.
   In the singles final, fifth-seeded Facundo Arguello of Argentina outlasted 17-year-old U.S. sensation Frances Tiafoe 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4.