Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic become the first all-Croatian pair to clinch a Grand Slam men’s doubles title when they defeated Marcel Granollers and Horacia Zeballos by 6-4, 7-6(5), 2-6, 7-5 at Wimbledon on Saturday. The pair had made three unsuccessful attempts to smash the ball away for a winner before leading the Spanish-Argentine duo on floodlit Centre Court.
Goran Ivanisevic compatriots claimed the doubles trophy at a grasscourt major twenty years after hoisting the Challenge Cup at the All England Cup in a rain-delayed Monday final. Nikola Mektic said, “That ball falling long in the last point was the best feeling of my life. The last three matches we played were the best of my life.”
His partner Pavkic added, “We all grew up with Goran, it’s been 20 years now since he won that Monday final, and this is the first time since Croatia is winning another trophy here. I know it doubles but still, it’s Wimbledon. I am very happy.”
It was a third men’s doubles title for Pavkic after winning the 2018 Australian Open and 2020 US Open with different partners. As Nikola Mektic and Pavkic had been troubled by the Spanish-Argentine duo in the second set but they continue to press and earned double fault on set point to close out the tie-break. Granollers and Zeballos were trying to win their first Grand Slam title, unfortunately, they failed to.
As Mektic and Pavic clinched men’s double title at Wimbledon, they begin the first all Croatian pair to do so.
