June 19, 2022 - After a big drama, the Croatians and the world's best tennis couple Mate Pavić and Nikola Mektić celebrated winning the Queen's Club, beating the British Lloyd Glasspool and Finn Harri Heliovaaru in the final.

It started badly for Pavić and Mektić, as they lost 3: 0 right at the start and the first set went to Glasspool and Heliovaara 6: 3, reports tportal.hr.

But after the Croatian tennis players lost the first set, they won the second set in the 'tie-break' 7: 6 (3), and the decision on the winner fell in the extended period, called 'super tie-break'. Pavić and Mektić did not allow any surprises and in the end, they celebrated 10: 6, thus winning the third title this year after Rome and Geneva.

It was also the 12th joint title for Mektic and Pavic, and their 15th victory in the last 16 matches. This is great preparation for Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam tournament of the season where they will be defending the title. Before Wimbledon, they will play in the ATP tournament in Eastbourne next week, where they have the status of the first holders.

2021 was an absolutely incredible year for Croatian tennis, due mainly to the success of the doubles team Mate Pavić and Nikola Mektić. Not only did these two win Wimbledon before celebrating in the historic all-Croatian doubles final at the Tokyo Olympics, but they finished the year as the best doubles team in the world!

Let us remind you that Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić won last year's Wimbledon after they defeated Spaniard Marcel Granollers and Argentine Horace Zeballos in the final 6-4, 7-6 (5), 2-6, 7-5 after two hours and 43 minutes of play.

In a year full of success, the 32-year-old from Zagreb and the 28-year-old from Split won nine titles, including the Wimbledon trophy and a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.

June 16, 2022 - Two-time Queen's Club champion Marin Čilić has advanced to the Queen's Club quarterfinals for the 9th time in his career!

Two-time winner of the London ATP tournament, the best Croatian tennis player Marin Čilić (ATP - 17th), advanced to the quarterfinals on grass at the Queen's Club for the ninth time in his career. Marin defeated Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik (ATP - 37th) in the 2nd round with 7- 6 (6), 7-5 in 94 minutes of play. 

It was their third meeting and Čilić's third victory, after winning the previous two on clay at the Roman Masters.

Both tennis players were very confident in the first set, so neither game went to a draw and the outcome was decided by a tie-break. Bublik opened it brilliantly and took the lead at 5-0 to reach three set points at 6-3. But a big turnaround from Čilić stopped all set points and after swapping sides, Marin scored two more points and thus won the first set.

Still in shock about how the first set ended, Bublik was disoriented in the second and Croatia's best tennis player took a 3-0 lead after nine minutes of play. 

Everything pointed to the quick end of the match and Čilić's spot in the quarterfinals. However, Marin played the worst game of the entire match, and Bublik came to a break without losing a point, making the outcome of the match a bit uncertain again. 

Čilić did not repeat the mistake from the seventh game and with two more games, he secured at least one more tie-break. But there was no need for that. Bublik paid for his mishaps in the 12th game, and Marin turned the first match point into a victory that brought him a spot in the quarterfinals.

It will be Marin's ninth quarterfinal in his 15th appearance at the Queen's Club. For a spot in the semifinals, Marin will play against Emil Ruusuvuori (ATP - 56th), who defeated Jack Draper 6-2, 7-6 (2) on Wednesday.

It will be Čilić's first match against the 23-year-old Finnish tennis player, and the quarterfinal matches are scheduled for Friday.

Source: HRT

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June 1, 2022 - Marin Čilić is in the Roland Garros semi-finals!

In a fantastic match, the Croatian tennis player defeated the 7th best player in the world Andrey Rublev 3:2 in sets, and achieved his best result at the Grand Slam tournament in Paris. Čilić won 5:7, 6:3, 6:4, 3:6, 7:6 in sets after more than four hours of play.

In the first set, both tennis players kept their serve until 5:5 until Rublev took the 6:5 lead. In the next game, he finished the set at 7:5 without losing a point.

Marin entered the second set brilliantly, with an early break he took the lead at 3:0, was up 4:1, and then 5:2. At 5:3, he used the fifth set point for 6:3 and 1:1 in sets.

Čilić continued with momentum in the third set. At 2:2 he had two unused break points. But a new opportunity soon followed. At 3:3 he reached a new break and was successful. He kept the advantage until the end of the set and at 6:4 went ahead 2:1 in sets.

In the fourth set, Čilić and Rublev went to 4:3. Rublev then broke at 5:3 and won the serve for 6:3 and 2:2 in sets.

In the dramatic fifth set, there was no chance for a turnaround until 5:4. In the tenth game, Čilić reached the match point, but Rublev won the game for 5:5. In the next game, Rublev had a break, but Čilić managed to win the game for a 6:5 lead. After Rublev won his serve, the match went into the thirteenth game.

As of this year, at 6:6 a tie-break of up to 10 points is played in the deciding set. Čilić was the first to go ahead after a mini break for 4:2, and then with a fantastic game he scored another six points for 10:2 and a spot in the semifinals.

By entering the semifinals, Čilić achieved his greatest success at Roland Garros. He has reached the quarterfinals twice so far (2017, 2018), but lost both times. He was eliminated five years ago by the Swiss tennis player Stan Wawrinka, and a year later by Argentine player Juan Martin del Potro.

Čilić played the last semifinal at a Grand Slam in 2018, when he reached the final of the Australian Open. Čilić is also the first Croatian tennis player to reach all four Grand Slam semi-finals. 

It was the seventh meeting between 33-year-old Čilić and 24-year-old Rublev and Čilić's third victory.

More soon...

Source: HRT

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March 13, 2022 - Petra Marčinko has won her first professional singles title! This comes after the 16-year-old tennis sensation was named the world's best junior in 2021 and won the Australian Open Juniors in January. 

Petra Marčinko is the winner of the ITF tennis tournament in Antalya, Turkey! On Sunday, the best junior tennis player in the world from Zagreb fought for her first title in a senior competition at the $25,000 ITF tournament in Antalya, Turkey.

The 16-year-old reached her premier title in professional singles tournaments after defeating France's Carole Monnet (279th on the WTA list) convincingly in two sets - 6:4, 6:1.

The French tennis player offered more resistance in the first set, in which it was equal at 3:3, and then won only one of the next nine games. The left-handed Monnet already has six ITF titles in her career and won all six at tournaments in the Tunisian city of Monastir, in 2019 and 2020, on hard courts.

This is the 17th consecutive victory for Marčinko and the 11th in 2022. After this success, Petra expects excellent progress on the WTA list; from 928th place, she will jump to 572nd place for a new career ranking.

Marčinko needed two hours and 26 minutes of great fighting to win the semifinal against 22-year-old Ipek Oz on Saturday. Marčinko beat Oz (WTA - 274) 7:6 (3), 1:6, 6:3.

Recall, the world's no. 1 junior defeated Belgium's Sofia Costoulas 7:5, 6:1 in the Australian Open final in Melbourne in January. The young Zagreb native thus became the fourth Croatian female tennis player to succeed at the Australian Open Juniors after Mirjana Lučić (1997), Jelena Kostanić (1998), and Ana Konjuh in 2013. She also broke the Croatian drought of winning Junior Grand Slams - the last time Borna Ćorić and Ana Konjuh did it was at the 2013 US Open.

Petra also became the first player in history to win the most prestigious junior tournament - Orange Bowl - in singles and doubles competitions and ended last year as the best junior in the world. 

Marčinko defeated the seventh junior in the world, Russian Diana Schneider, in the final of the Orange Bowl in three sets (3:6, 6:1, 6:3). Petra reached her second title with Schneider in the doubles final, celebrating 7:6, 6:0 against the Czech team Brenda and Linda Fruhvirotva.

Source: HTS

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November 7, 2021 - Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić are the world's #1 doubles team in 2021! 

On the ATP ranking, Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić will finish 2021 as the world's best doubles team. Only American Rajeev Ram and Briton Joe Salisbury threatened to catch Pavić and Mektić, though thanks to the outcome of the Paris Masters, the Croatian duo was unattainable. 

This is the third time Pavić has finished the year as part of the world's best doubles team, and Nikola Mektić is the third partner with whom Pavić reached the top. Last year, Pavić and Brazilian partner Bruno Soares were named #1, and in 2018, he was the best in combination with Austrian partner Oliver Marach.

"I'm thrilled. True, this is my third time in the last four years with a third partner, but I achieved it for the first time with a Croatian, which is a great achievement for us personally, but also for Croatian tennis in general," said Mate Pavić in a statement from ATP Tour.

Mektić will finish at the top of the ATP rankings for the first time this year.

"It is a nice achievement, especially after a season like the one we had. I was looking forward to it. When I saw how we were doing, it became one of the goals. It is nice to end the year at number 1, which is the crown of the whole season in which we had nice victories and great titles," said Nikola Mektić.

In a year full of success, the 32-year-old from Zagreb and the 28-year-old from Split won nine titles, including the Wimbledon trophy and a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Mektić and Pavić will still play in the final tournament of the eight best doubles teams in the world, where the Zagreb man triumphed last year with Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof. But, on the other hand, it is one of the few trophies Pavić does not have in his collection.

"We had a great season, and we are looking forward to playing in Turin at this year's ATP Final. We will try to end the season the way we started it," said Pavić.

ATP President Andrea Gaudenzi also congratulated the Croatian duo.

"Congratulations to Nikola and Mate on an exceptional season and number 1. It is impressive how they started the season and how much success they had in their first year together, and we should be proud of our achievements," said Gaudenzi.

Mektić and Pavić will be the first-seed at the ATP Finals, hosted in Turin for the first time from November 14 to 21, after the final tournament was played in London's O2 Arena from 2009 to 2020.

After the ATP Finals, Nikola and Mate will play for the Croatia Davis Cup national team again in Turin. They will play the group stage against Australia on November 25 and against Hungary on November 28.

Source: HRT

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October 30, 2021 - Donna Vekić and Marin Čilić have reached the semifinals in the tournaments in Courmayeur, Italy, and St. Petersburg, Russia!

Croatian tennis player Donna Vekić advanced to the semifinals of the WTA tournament in Courmayeur, Italy, after she celebrated 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals against Xinyu Wang (WTA-110) on Friday.

The break at the beginning of the match was enough for Donna Vekić to take the first set because Wang never managed to threaten the Croatian tennis player. Vekić also started the second set with a break, but Wang immediately fought back.

However, at 2-2, Vekić again took the serve from Wang and kept her advantage until she served for the match. Wang then got a break. However, Vekić decided the match in her favor with three consecutive points after an hour and 28 minutes of play.

In the semifinal on Saturday, Vekić will play against Italian Jasmine Paolini.

Croatian tennis player Marin Čilić continued with excellent results in Russia, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 against Spaniard Robert Bautista Agut and advanced to the semifinals of the ATP tournament in St. Petersburg.

Marin Čilić reached the final in Moscow last week, and to repeat such success in St. Petersburg, he will play against Dutchman Botica van de Zandschulp.

This was the eighth duel between Čilić and Bautista and the sixth victory for Čilić. 

In the first set, the 33-year-old Spaniard was the first to reach the chance to break. He had five break points in the fourth game, but Čilić broke at 3-2 in the next game. 

Robert Bautista Agut immediately retaliated by returning for 3-3. The series of breaks in the first set was continued by Čilić, who again took the lead.

The Croatian tennis player then defended the lead at 6-4 in the first set.

In the second set, Čilić broke again at 2-2. But as in the first set, he lost the advantage in the next game.

The eighth game proved to be crucial, in which they played 26 points.

Marin had four match points, there were ten draws, and the Spaniard had six break points. He used the last one for a 5-3 lead.

The only break in the decisive third set was made by Čilić in the sixth game when he returned and finally won on his third chance.

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July 29, 2021 - Historic! An unthinkable and spectacular event has happened today not only in Croatian sports history but also in the Olympic Games. Mate Pavić and Nikola Mektić have won today and there will be a Gold Medal Match between Croatian players in Tokyo 2020!

The morning got off to a great start for Croatia at the Olympics, after the couple Marin Cilić and Ivan Dodig beat their New Zealand rivals in the semi-final, thus securing at least one medal for their country. But in recent days, everyone was closely following the fact that two pairs of Croatian tennis players reached the semifinals, as the brand-new champions of the doubles category at Wimbledon, Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić, had also managed to reach those instances.

With the four Croatian tennis players in the semifinals, a bronze medal was already confirmed for the Croatian delegation. But with today's victory for Cilić and Dodig (6-2, 6-2) over their New Zealand counterparts Daniell and Venus, Croatia had already secured at least one silver medal. Even before it happened, everyone was wondering, "What if there was a final between Croats?".

? ovo je čudesnooo! Imamo hrvatski finale u Tokiju te osigurano ? i ? u konkurenciji teniskih parova!

? nakon para Marin Čilić/Ivan Dodig, meč za najviše postolje izborio je na uvjerljiv način i par Nikola Mektić/Mate Pavić koji nije dao šansu Amerikancima! ? pic.twitter.com/eXrLGEulrM

— Hrvatski olimpijski odbor (@hrv_olimp_odbor) July 29, 2021

And that's how it went from imagination to reality. Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić defeated their American rivals Krajicek and Sandgren (6-4, 6-4), and Croatia thus secured a gold and silver medal in tennis in the doubles category, in what will be an unprecedented and exciting Croatian Gold Medal match in a tennis final.

To reach the grand final, Mektić and Pavić had to beat Brazilians Demoliner and Merlo in a close match (7-6, 6-4) in the first round. They then beat the Italians Musetti and Sonego in the second round, also in a difficult match (7-5, 6-7, 10-7). This earned them qualification for the quarterfinals, where they beat the locals McLachlan and Nishikori (6-3, 6-3). At this point, the dream of the Olympic medal was already approaching, with the Croatian tennis players in the semifinals. Today they beat Americans Austin Krajicek and Tennys Sandgren 6-4 in both sets, in a match that lasted 1 hour and 21 minutes.

Mektić and Pavić, the best tennis pair of today, have 51 victories and only five defeats this year. They both arrived in Tokyo as the recent champions of the Wimbledon doubles tournament this month.

Croatian sport reaches a historic moment with the first tennis doubles final between Croatian players, something that, although it is not the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, happened only in 1904 between American players and for the last time four years later, in 1908 between British players. So it has been 113 years since this incredible gold medal match feat was not attested.

It's an all-#CRO men's doubles gold medal match ?

No.1 seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic join their compatriots Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig in the men's doubles final where one team will become the first-ever Croatian Olympic gold medallists in #tennis#Tokyo2020 | #Olympics

— ITF (@ITFTennis) July 29, 2021

The game is scheduled for tomorrow, and although the exact time is not yet confirmed, it is believed that it will be played around 8, after the bronze match between New Zealanders and Americans.

It is true that, although four Croatian tennis players will compete for first place, only two of them will be able to win the long-awaited gold medal. However, it can be said from now on that, regardless of the result, it is a historic moment and a great joy for Croatian tennis and sport in general. Congratulations to Mate Pavić, Marin Cilić, Nikola Mektić, and Ivan Dodig for the success!

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about the history of sport in Croatia and everything about its most famous athletes, be sure to check Total Croatia's guide.

July 29, 2021 - Čilić and Dodig reached the finals of the Olympic Games in doubles with a victory against the New Zealand pair Daniell and Venus (6-2, 6-2) and thus secured an Olympic tennis medal for Croatia!

The joys in the Tokyo Olympics do not stop coming for Croatia, and especially in the doubles category in tennis, where until yesterday it was known that they had at least secured a bronze medal by having the couple Čilić and Dodig, and recent Wimbledon champions Mektić and Pavić, both in the semi-finals. But today Marin Čilić and Ivan Dodig beat their New Zealand rivals (6-2, 6.2) and qualified for the final, now securing a silver medal for Croatia.

Later, Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić will play with the Americans Austin Krajicek and Tennys Sandgren, and in the event of the victory of Mektić and Pavić, Croatia would win another medal in Tokyo, and for the first time, we would watch the Croatian final at the Olympic Games, reports Index.hr.

Čilić and Dodig easily celebrated in the semifinals against the New Zealanders. It was uncertain only up to 2: 2 in the first set. After that, the Croatian tennis players made a series of eight games, rushed to 6: 2, 4: 0, and calmly kept the advantage for a huge celebration.

To reach this stage, Čilić and Dodig had to beat the Japanese Daniel and Nishioka (6-2, 6-4) in the first round. In the second round they beat the Americans Ram and Tiafoe (6-3, 7-5), and yesterday they beat the British Murray and Salisbury (4-6, 7-6, 10-7) for the quarterfinals.

Until the Games in Tokyo, Čilić and Dodig played 22 doubles matches and celebrated in 12 of them, and they had the best form in 2016 when they recorded all doubles victories in the Davis Cup, but despite that, Croatia lost the Davis Cup final that year to Argentina.

In the finals, they could expect Mektić and Pavić, the best tennis pair of today, which has 51 victories and only five defeats this year. It should be remembered that Metkić and Pavić arrived in Tokyo as the recent champions of the Wimbledon doubles tournament this month.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about the history of sport in Croatia and everything about its most famous athletes, be sure to check Total Croatia's guide.

July 18, 2021 - The Goran Ivanišević Tennis Hall of Fame induction speech was done in Goran fashion, with a touch of humor, a lot of emotion, and paid tribute to everything Croatia has given him. 

"This is a dream come true," said Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanišević to conclude his speech at a ceremony in Newport, Rhode Island, where the 49-year-old from Split became the first Croat to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Along with Ivanišević, Conchita Martinez, the first Spaniard to win the Wimbledon title in 1994, was inducted into the 2020 Hall of Fame at the same ceremony.

From the 2021 generation, this honor was given to the "Original 9", nine players led by Billie Jean King, who were the pioneers of the fight for equal status and rights between tennis players and the founders of today's WTA Tour, and posthumously included in the Hall of Fame coach and educator Dennis Van der Meer known by the nickname “Teacher of teachers.”

Goran was introduced to the company of tennis immortals by his boy idol John McEnroe. The medal of a member of the International Hall of Fame was hung around his neck by the president of this organization and its member Stan Smith.

"I love Goran Ivanišević, and I am immensely excited to be able to bring into the Hall of Fame someone who can be said to have been crazier on the court than I was. I played against Goran a lot of times, I watched and commented on his matches many times, and I have to say he always kept me on the edge of my seat because I never knew what would happen next, and I’m not sure he knew either. His unpredictability is one of the reasons why we loved him and why it was so hard to play against him. What he did on the court, Goran did in his own way. It would certainly be good to have such players in tournaments ... I am proud to present my friend and a new member of the International Hall of Fame," said John McEnroe, introducing Goran to the Hall of Fame. 

"I don't think I'm crazier than you, but I'm very close. I love you, I love your tennis, you are the reason why I started playing tennis and - yes, I beat you many times," said Goran to open his speech.

He thanked the representatives of "Original 9" for initiating changes in tennis and for their courage. He said that there is no "better and more pleasant person" than Conchita Martinez to be inducted with. 

"42 years ago, I started this trip from the small town of Split in Croatia, and today it will end in Newport. Along the way, I have to thank some people with whom I went through good and bad moments, ups and downs," Goran said before listing the names of all his coaches, "because they helped him become the player he was."

"Laci Kačer, Mek Ercegović, Zoran Ilić, Niki Pilić, Boško Čavka, Balasz Taroczy, Mario Tudor, Vedran Martić and, most importantly for me, Bob Brett who is no longer with us, but proud of me up there."

Then he remembered his teammates and members of the Davis Cup national teams.

"I had the honor to play for two countries, first for Yugoslavia and then for Croatia. First, I will mention Bob Živojinović and captain Radmilo Armenulić, who helped me a lot on the Yugoslavia team. From my Croatia team, coaches Željko Franulović and Niki Pilić, Goran Prpić, Bruno Orešar, Ivan Ljubičić, Mario Ančić, Saša Hiršzon, Igor Šarić and Ivo Karlović. We played together, laughed, and won the Davis Cup in 2005."

He also thanked all the players he met on the ATP Tour.

"Some of them ruined my life. Nearly. They all made me a better player, and that’s why I’m here today."

Thanks were also given to Goran's friends, who believed in him even when it was impossible, who raised him when he despaired, and who always had nice words for him.

Goran's fans also got a special place.

"It was not easy to be my fan," said Ivanišević with plenty of laughter from the audience.

"It was frustrating, it was sad, probably a lot of people got divorced because of me. But one thing is for sure - it was fun to be my fan."

Journalists also received their share of gratitude.

"We had fun, we often did not agree, but there was mutual respect," he said, and he singled out one special person from the crowd, who accompanied him as a ten-year-old - Neven Bertičević.

"Neven, thank you for every wonderful word you have written about me."

A special space in gratitude was given to those who sacrificed the most for the career of the new Hall of Fame resident - father Srdjan and mother Gorana.

"The two most important people in my career - mom and dad. Two people sacrificed their health, careers, and time and gave me unconditional love to succeed. Mom and Dad, there are no words I can thank you for, nor can I do anything to thank you for all you have done for me. If I had to go through this trip again, I would choose you for mom and dad again, and we would go together again. I love you and thank you for everything."

He also thanked his children: Oliver, who is "too young to know who his father is, but loves him," and Emanuel and Amber, who are big enough and "feel proud of what their father has achieved."

Then it was his wife's turn.

"When I was starting to be good (tennis player), she was still a girl. She didn’t know about me, nor did she know anything about tennis. Twenty-something years later, she stands here extremely proud and beautiful. Thank you for your support and love."

Goran has not forgotten the people responsible for his historical success, which made him a tennis legend.

"I thank the Wimbledon committee for awarding me the invitation. I don’t know if they did a good job and if they regret it, but thank you, guys - if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be standing here now. It was a good decision."

In the end, Goran left thanks to "one city and one country."

"My hometown of Split - a city that has given so many wonderful people and wonderful athletes. The city gave me the most beautiful and safest childhood, where I could become a tennis player as I am today and as I was. Everything I built through my career, I brought from that city and became the man I am today. To my country. You know, we are a small country with a big heart. We never stop believing. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, but I’ve never stopped believing. For the first time in my life, I can say that I am proud of myself."

In the end, he remembered the company that faithfully followed him on the road to his greatest achievement at Wimbledon in 2001.

"Boys, you made me proud. We did things our way, harder, but it was our way. But only I go inside. You can come and visit me, but I deserved to come in," said Goran with a standing ovation from the audience and concluded:

"This is the end. This is a dream come true."

Source: HRT

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July 11, 2021 - Croatian tennis players Nikola Metkić and Mate Pavić are the Wimbledon champions! Bravo!

The best tennis pair in the world, Nikola Mektić and Mate Pavić are the winners of this year's Wimbledon. They defeated Spaniard Marcel Granollers and Argentine Horace Zeballos in the final 6-4, 7-6 (5), 2-6, 7-5 after two hours and 43 minutes of play.

For Pavić, this is the third Grand Slam won in the men's doubles competition. In 2018, he won the Australian Open with Oliver Marach, and last year the US Open with Bruno Soares, while Mektić won his first in this competition. For Mektić and Pavić, this was already the 10th final of this season and the eighth title, but convincingly the biggest.

To win the first set, one "break" was enough for Mektic and Pavic, which they achieved in the seventh game when they combined several excellent backhands on Granollers' serve and took a 4-3 lead. The Croatian duo had two chances to take the serve away from Zeballos in the ninth game, but the Argentine got away with excellent serves. However, Pavić calmly brought the first part of the game to an end with a good service game at 5-4.

In the second set, no pair got a chance to take the service away from the opponent, so the winner was decided by a tie-break. And in it, an unusual situation occurred when Zeballos covered the volley on the net only for the main judge Aurelie Tourte to award a point to the Croatian pair because the Argentine was playing with a racket over the net. In addition, Granollers made a double service error on the set point of the Croatian pair, so Mektić and Pavić arrived on the set after winning Wimbledon.

Unfortunately, the beginning of the third set was the worst period of the game for the Croatian combination. First, after two bad reactions on the net, Granollers and Zeballos reached an irreparable advantage. They were also the only two games in which Granollers and Zeballos had break points and both won.

Mektic and Pavic twice threatened to take the serve away from Zeballos in the fourth set, the first time with a 3-2 lead when they were 15-40, but the Argentine first served well and then played an incredible volley. With the 5-4 advantage of the Croatian pair, Mektić and Pavić reached the match point, but the service winner followed again. However, with 6-5 for Mektić and Pavić, our pair started the game with two returns, reached 0-30, and Zeballos offered the second match ball with a missed volley. Another great return followed, but the Spaniard and the Argentine refused to surrender, but one of those defensive shots finally ended up in the net, so the celebration of 32-year-old Mektic and 28-year-old Pavic could begin.

For the Granollers, this was their fourth appearance in the men's doubles final at the "grand slam" and their fourth defeat, while Zeballos lost both of its previous finals.

FINAL RESULT:

NIKOLA MEKTIC / MATE PAVIC (CRO / 1) - Marcel Granollers / Horacio Zeballos (Spa / Arg / 4) 6-4, 7-6 (5), 2-6, 7-5

Source: Sportske Novosti

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