Mate Pavić

[Damian]

Mektic and Pavic Claim Eastbourne Title

Spoiler:

The top seeds have won seven ATP Tour titles this year
Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic’s dream season continued at the Viking International Eastbourne as they defeated third seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 6-4, 6-3 to win their seventh ATP Tour title of the year.

The Croatians, who have won ATP Masters 1000 titles in Miami, Monte-Carlo and Rome, are now 42-6 in their first year together.

"I am very happy with the title here after everything that has happened recently, getting ill in Paris,” Mektic said. “We are very happy with the way we came back, very fast, very quick. We found good form [this week].”

Pavic added: “I think we played an excellent match. We have played them three times and they are always tough matches. It goes back to a few points, we saved a couple of break points, and they didn’t.”

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The top seeds won 79 per cent (15/19) of their first-service points in the opening set and moved into a 4-2 lead to take control in Eastbourne. Mektic and Pavic saved break points in their following two service games as they won the opening set against the American-British team.

While the match remained on serve at the start of the second set, Mektic and Pavic found the breakthrough in the fifth game. They hit four aces in the match and were strong on serve in the second set, not facing a break point in the set on their way to the title.

Ram and Salisbury, who are No. 4 in the FedEx ATP Doubles Team Rankings, beat Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in the semi-finals. However, they could not match the Croatian pair on Friday, losing in 63 minutes, moving to 21-11 on the season.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/doubles ... riday-2021

[Damian]

De Minaur/Reid Advance At Wimbledon; Mektic/Pavic Also Through

Spoiler:

Fourth and eighth seeds also move on
Australian tandem Alex de Minaur and Matt Reid kicked off their doubles campaign with victory over British team Luke Johnson and Anton Matusevich 7-6(3), 6-2 on Thursday at Wimbledon.

They hit nine winners and won 73 per cent (35/48) of their first-service points on their way to victory, recovering from 2-5 down in the first set.

De Minaur, who in singles, is No. 15 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, also partnered Reid at Roland Garros earlier this month. The Australians advanced in 77 minutes and will next face top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic.

The Croatian team defeated Jonathan Erlich and Andrei Vasilevski 6-2, 6-4 in 55 minutes. Mektic and Pavic hit six aces and did not face a break point as they moved to the second round.

The pair has enjoyed a sensational season, winning seven tour-level titles, with their latest victory coming at the Viking International Eastbourne last week. They are now 43-6 in their first year together.

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Due to rain at the All England Club on Monday and Tuesday, the first and second-round doubles matches will be contested over three sets, before returning to five from the third round.

Also in action on the lawns of Wimbledon were fourth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos. They beat Dusan Lajovic and Ivan Sabanov 6-3, 6-4 in 65 minutes.

Granollers and Zeballos won 90 per cent (27/30) of their first-service points to set up a meeting with British brothers, Ken Skupski and Neal Skupski. The Spanish-Argentine tandem clinched their third ATP Masters 1000 title at the Mutua Madrid Open (d. Mektic/Pavic) in May.

There was also success for eighth seeds Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo, who fought past Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. They hit 10 winners to advance in two hours and two minutes.

The Polish-Brazilian team reunited at Roland Garros earlier this month. They finished as the year-end No. 1 team in 2017, winning the Wimbledon title that season.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/wimbled ... 1-thursday

[Damian]

Mektic/Pavic First Team To Qualify For 2021 Nitto ATP Finals

Spoiler:

Croatian team have won seven titles in 2021

Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic have become the first doubles team to qualify for the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, to be held from 14-21 November at the Pala Alpitour in Turin.

The Croatians booked their spots at the season finale on Tuesday with a 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-4 quarter-final victory over Marcelo Melo and Lukasz Kubot at The Championships, Wimbledon.

Mektic and Pavic have been red hot in 2021, in their first season as a team, winning seven titles and compiling a 46-5 match record.

They have lifted trophies this year at three ATP Masters 1000s — the Miami Open presented by Itau and the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters (d. Evans/Skupski both times), plus the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome (d. Ram/Salisbury). One ATP 500 at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam (d. Krawietz/Tecau) and three ATP 250s at the Antalya Open (d. Dodig/Polasek), Murray River Open in Melbourne (d. Chardy/Martin), Viking International Eastbourne (d. Ram/Salisbury).

Mektic and Pavic also finished as runners up at the Mutua Madrid Open (l. to Granollers/Zeballos) and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (l. to Cabal/Farah).

Individually, Mektic has competed at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2018 (w/Peya) and last year the 32-year-old clinched the trophy with Wesley Koolhof at The O2 in London (d. Melzer/Roger-Vasselin). Pavic, 28, has qualified on three previous occasions, featuring in the round-robin stages in 2017-18 (w/Marach) and 2020 (w/Soares).

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mektic- ... lification

[Damian]

Mektic/Pavic Survive Five-Set Thriller For Wimbledon SF Berth

Spoiler:

Three doubles QFs cancelled due to rain
Top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic came back from the brink and battled for nearly four hours to claim a 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo to claim the first spot into the last four at Wimbledon.

The victory also punched their ticket to Turin at the end of the season, with Mektic and Pavic becoming the first team to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals.

Mektic and Pavic have been the most dominant team of the year since they began their partnership at the start of the 2021 season. The pair has racked up seven tour-level titles, including three ATP Masters 1000s at Miami, Monte-Carlo and Rome. They charged into SW19 after lifting the trophy in Eastbourne, and are now two matches away from their maiden Grand Slam crown.

They had a battle on their hands against 2017 champions Kubot and Melo, who made a strong start under the roof on No. 1 Court. The Pole and the Brazilian have been regular partners in the past, reaching the Nitto ATP Finals last year. They joined forces again at this year’s Roland Garros after spending much of this season separate, with Melo partnering Jean-Julien Rojer and Kubot with Wesley Koolhof.

The eighth seeds looked like they’d never been apart as they claimed the first and second sets with just one break of serve making the difference each time. But Mektic and Pavic saved three break points in the third set to halt their momentum, extending their stay in the contest.


The top seeds were in full flow in the fourth and fifth sets. Mektic and Pavic edged through the fourth set tie-break after winning the first five points in a row, and held firm after a nail-biting fifth set where both teams had chances to take the lead. Mektic and Pavic emerged victorious after three hours and 44 minutes to reach their second Grand Slam semi-final as a team.

They await the winners of third seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah and sixth seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, whose match was cancelled due to rain on Tuesday.

View Schedule | Listen To Radio Wimbledon | List Of Broadcasters (PDF)

The other two quarter-final matches between Andre Goransson and Casper Ruud taking on fourth seed Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, and Simone Bolelli and Maximo Gonzalez facing 14th seeds Raven Klaasen and Ben McLachlan, were also cancelled.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mektic- ... tuesday-qf

[Damian]

Mektic/Pavic Reach 10th Tour-Level Final Of The Season At Wimbledon

Spoiler:

The top seeds face Granollers/Zeballos in the championship match
Top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic continued their dream season on Thursday at Wimbledon where they moved past Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-6(5) to reach the final.

The Croatians have won seven tour-level titles together this year, including three ATP Masters 1000s. Having reached 10 tour-level finals this season, they became the first team to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals after their quarter-final victory on Tuesday.

Mektic and Pavic, who began their partnership this year, hit 16 aces and 26 winners to overcome the American-British tandem in three hours and 24 minutes.

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They will face Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in Saturday’s final, after the fourth seeds defeated Simone Bolelli and Maximo Gonzalez 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(3).

It is the second time the Spanish-Argentine duo has advanced to a Grand Slam final, having reached the championship match at the 2019 US Open (l. to Cabal/Farah). In a dominant display, they won 82 per cent (50/61) of their first-service points and did not face a break point in the match.

Granollers and Zeballos will be aiming to win their second tour-level title of the season on Saturday, having defeated their upcoming opponents to capture the Mutua Madrid Open trophy in May.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mektic- ... 1-thursday

[Damian]

[DUN I LOVE]

Znakomity deblista. Być może kolejny z goatów gry podwójnej w przyszłości.

[Barty]

[Barty]

Mektic and Pavic through to maiden Wimbledon final

Spoiler:

World No.1 doubles pairing too strong for local favourite Joe Salisbury and his partner Rajeev Ram

Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic proved why they are the top seeds on No.1 Court, booking their men’s doubles final spot with a compelling victory over Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.

Mektic and Pavic stood firm in the crucial moments 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-7(2), 7-6 (5), saving 10 of 11 break points, to edge the No.6 seeds.

They advance to their maiden Wimbledon final as a duo to take on the Spanish and Argentine combination of Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.

It was a pretty smooth opening from both pairings. Salisbury impressing his home crowd, leaping high to his right to hook a forehand volley from behind, demonstrating a strong start from the No.6 seeds.

At 4-3 Salisbury whipped a low forehand down the line as the catalyst for the opening break opportunity but world No.1 Pavic smothered the net in response.

A tie-break was required and it was a cagey affair. The top seeds had a set point dismissed at 6-5, then Pavic’s superb reactions, stepping in closer with each volley in a laser-beam net duel earned the telling point. Mektic struck a timely ace and they strolled back to the chair in the ascendancy.

The top seeds grasped the momentum at 3-2, clipping a brace of controlled lobs for a pivotal break to open up a two-set lead.

The ardent support for local charge Salisbury gave the No.6 seeds an almighty boost in the third set.

World No.1 Pavic, 2018 Australian Open and 2020 US Open champion with different partners, kept being forced into trouble on serve and kept conjuring up the shots to escape.

Salisbury deflected a remarkable reaction lob onto the baseline which was rewarded with a mighty roar from the stands. The pressure on the Mektic and Pavic serves finally told and a real battle ignited.

Pavic threw in an erratic game to be broken to love at 1-1 in the fourth set, only for the world No.1 to redeem himself with a selection of punchy volleys driven into open space.

Salisbury cannonballed a forehand down the line return winner to threaten another break. Mektic’s deft drop volley erased the danger.

Another piece of magic from the Brit, cutting an inside out forehand winner across the reach of Mektic, but the top seeds stubbornly maintained scoreboard parity.

The tense tick-tack-whack net exchanges culminated in another absorbing tie-break. Crucially at 5-4, Mektic lasered a return at the feet of Salisbury approaching the net.

The error was drawn, and the top seeds lashed away one final volley to collapse to the court in elation.

155-154 points in total, it was that close.

No.4 seeds Granollers and Zeballos booked their final ticket with a 6-4, 6-4, 7-6(3) win over Simone Bolelli and Maximo Gonzalez.

https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/ar ... final.html

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Barty]

Mektic and Pavic first Croats to win men's doubles

Spoiler:

Top seeds win maiden Wimbledon title beating Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos

For the first time Croatian names will be added to the men’s doubles roll of honour.

Top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic continued their astounding 2021 campaign, lifting their maiden Wimbledon title with a 6-4, 7-6(5), 2-6, 7-5 triumph over Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, following in the footsteps of a certain countryman.

“It’s very special. This is by far the best tournament in the world,” stated Pavic, holding back the tears after lifting his third Grand Slam doubles trophy.

“We all grew up with Goran (Ivanisevic). It’s been 20 years since he won that Monday final. It’s the first time since Croatians winning a trophy here, it’s doubles, but it’s still Wimbledon.

“We are very emotional. I had a tough final losing here a few years ago (in 2017). We are just super happy.”

The pair made a good start, taking the first set. The next set did not offer a single break point going into the tie-break.

In the shootout, Zeballos surrendered a point having been adjudged to have made contact with the ball over the net, drifting 1-3 behind.

Mektic, featuring in his first Wimbledon final, crushed an inside out forehand winner to maintain the lead, before a costly Granollers double fault gifted the set.

Pavic and Mektic, already with seven titles as a fresh team in 2021, looked to be justifying their tag as the top seeds. However, Granollers and Zeballos, both former top 50 singles players, had other ideas.

The Argentine's powerful backhand clipped the top of the net and evaded the reach of the Croatians, helping to chalk up an immediate break.

Zeballos, 36, used some swerving serves to hold, and a bullet backhand return winner from the Spaniard made it 3-0.

Earlier this season on the red clay of Monte Carlo and Madrid, a match tie-break was required to separate these teams, it was always going to be a tight tussle.

At 2-3 in the fourth set a brace of double faults from world No.7 Zeballos threatened their comeback, falling two break points down, only for a Granollers lunge volley to feature as the highlight of an impressive escape.

Mektic, at full stretch on the backhand wing, guided a cross court return winner, piling on the pressure. The Argentine-Spanish duo fended off match point at 4-5. However, two games later Mektic connected with another return of pinpoint accuracy.

A couple more overheads from Pavic and the job was done, both Croatians sprawled out on the turf in celebration.

“That ball falling long on the last point was the best feeling of my life,” said Mektic with a beaming smile, holding his first ever Grand Slam trophy. “It was an incredible match today.

“The last three matches we’ve played are probably the best I’ve participated in. All of them were so close, we’ve had to keep pushing, keep fighting.

“We kept telling each other, ‘keep digging for every point, let’s not give up at all.’ Some crazy points, but we just kept going.”

https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/ar ... ubles.html

[Damian]

Mektic/Pavic Capture First Grand Slam Title At Wimbledon

Spoiler:

Croatians add ninth tour-level title to their 2021 haul

In their first Grand Slam doubles final as a team, top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic sealed the biggest victory of their sterling season on Saturday after taking down Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in four sets to win the Wimbledon doubles trophy.

Mektic and Pavic became the first Croatian players to win the Wimbledon men’s doubles title. They are also the first players from their country to triumph at the All England Club since Goran Ivanisevic’s 2001 victory in singles and Ivan Dodig's 2019 mixed doubles win with Latisha Chan.

“This is something special, this is by far the best tournament in the world… Especially for me and I think for Nikola also, we all grew up with Goran [Ivanisevic]. It’s been 20 years since he won the Monday final, and this is the first time there is another Croatian winning the trophy,” Pavic said, fighting back tears during the trophy ceremony. “We are very emotional. I had a tough final a few years ago, so I’m super happy and very emotional.”

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The Croatian duo have been the most dominant team of the 2021 season, and they already punched their ticket to the Nitto ATP Finals by reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals. Mektic and Pavic teamed up at the start of the year, and they never looked back as they lifted a tour-leading eight trophies leading up to this fortnight, including three at the ATP Masters 1000 level in Miami, Monte-Carlo and Rome.

The top seeds were tested every step of the way at Wimbledon, having to battle through a tough five-setter to move past eighth seeds Marcelo Melo and Lukasz Kubot in the quarter-finals and a roller-coaster four-set battle against Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury to reach their first Grand Slam final.

Mektic and Pavic made a strong start under the Centre Court roof as they claimed a decisive break at 3-3 to seal the tightly contested opening set against fourth seeds Granollers and Zeballos. They had trouble containing the Spanish and Argentine duo, who didn’t give up any opportunities on their serve in the second set. But the Croatians continued to press, and they earned a double fault on set point to close out the tie-break.

The first all-Croatian team to win a Grand Slam

Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic win the Gentlemen’s Doubles title with a 6-4, 7-6(5), 2-6, 7-5 victory against Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/ObHONohBfT

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2021
The Hispanic duo raced in front in the third set, breaking early and opening up a 4-0 lead. But Mektic and Pavic bounced back in the fourth, creating four break opportunities across three of their opponent’s service games. With the pressure at a max, the fourth seeds sent a lob long as Mektic and Pavic collapsed to the ground in elation, sealing the victory after two hours and 47 minutes.

“That ball falling long on the last point, that was the best feeling of my life,” Mektic said. “It was an incredible match today again. The last three matches that we played, it was probably the best three matches of my life, the best three matches that I ever participated in.

“We just kept pushing. We just kept telling ourselves, let’s just dig every point, let’s not give up.”

View Schedule | Listen To Radio Wimbledon | List Of Broadcasters (PDF)

Granollers and Zeballos were bidding to win their first Grand Slam doubles title – either as individuals or as a team – as well as become the first Spanish and Argentine man, respectively, to win the Wimbledon men’s doubles title.

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[Damian]

[Nando]

[Nando]

[Damian]

Mektic/Pavic Capture Olympic Gold In Tokyo

Spoiler:

The Croatian pair has won 53 matches this year
Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic’s dream season continued on Friday as they battled past countrymen Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 to claim a historic first gold medal in tennis for Croatia at the Tokyo Olympics.

The top seeds, who booked their spot at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals earlier this month, won 75 per cent (27/36) of their first-service points and raised their level in the Match Tie-break to secure victory in one hour and 38 minutes.

“This is just a very happy feeling and we’re super thrilled to win the title and just to be at the Olympics,” Mektic told ITFtennis.com. “To have such a great result is just more than a dream come true and I’m so delighted to share this moment with Mate [Pavic]."

View Order Of Play | View 2020 Olympics Results

Mektic and Pavic arrived in Tokyo having won eight tour-level titles in their maiden year together as a team. They became the first Croatian players to lift the Wimbledon men’s doubles title in July, and have captured three ATP Masters 1000 crowns in Miami, Monte-Carlo, and Rome.

The pair dominated in the first set as they closed the net effectively and returned with great depth. Mektic and Pavic broke in the opening game and were strong on serve as they moved ahead. Cilic and Dodig returned with greater power in the second set though as they caused problems for the top seeds to level.

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However, Mektic and Pavic used their experience in the Match Tie-break to claim a 53rd win of the season and 15th in a row.

Cilic and Dodig were competing in their second tour-level event of the season as a pair, having enjoyed a run to the semi-finals at the MercedesCup in Stuttgart in June. The Croatians also teamed at the 2012 London Olympics where they advanced to the quarter-finals. They will leave Tokyo with a silver medal.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/mektic- ... 021-friday

[Damian]