September 10, 2020 - In the first-ever US Open doubles final that featured two Croatian players, Mate Pavic wins the title against Nikola Mektic.
On the opposite sides of the court on Thursday evening was Nikola Mektic and Dutchman Wesley Koolhof, against Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares. Mektic and Koolhof were the 8th-seed of the tournament, while Pavic and Soares were 5th.
In the final match at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, Pavic and Soares were more successful, beating Nikola Mektic and Koolhof 7:5, 6:3.
It took just 47 minutes for Pavic and Soares to win the first set. The duo won 7:5, and with a break in the sixth game of the second set, they came close to the title.
Pavic has so far played in the men's doubles finals in all three remaining Grand Slam tournaments. He won the Australian Open in 2018, while losing the Wimbledon final in 2017 and Roland Garros in 2018. Each time his partner was Austrian Oliver Marach.
?? Mate Pavic & ?? Bruno Soares win their first #USOpen doubles title as a team! pic.twitter.com/vzrgm7F6tG
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2020
In addition, Pavic has two titles in the mixed doubles. In 2016, he won the US Open with German Laura Siegemund, and in 2018 the Australian Open with Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski with whom he lost the Roland Garros final in 2018 and 2019.
That ? feeling.
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2020
Mate Pavic & Bruno Soares are your 2020 US Open men's doubles champions!@BrunoSoares82 | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/fosN2rEiMP
For Mektic, this was his first men's doubles final at a Grand Slam tournament. His biggest success so far has been the Roland Garros semifinals in 2018, when he played with Austrian Alexander Peya.
Earlier this year, Mektic won the Australian Open title in the mixed doubles competition with Czech Barbora Krejcikova, while two years ago, he played the finals of the mixed doubles in New York with Polish partner Alicia Rosolska.
First trophy raise of the tournament and it feels so good. ?@BrunoSoares82 | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/AEl8MWiQIz
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 10, 2020
This is the first Croatian title at the US Open in men's doubles since the legendary Nikola Pilic 50 years ago.
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