ATP Monte Carlo: Nikola Mektic, Franko Skugor win title after big comeback
Seventh-seeded Nikola Mektic and Franko Skugor have won the 2019 Monte Carlo Masters doubles title after making a big comeback in the final against unseeded Robin Haase and Wesley Koolhof 6-7 (3) 7-6 (3) 11-9.
The Croatian duo started the match well as they opened a quick 3-0 lead after breaking Haase and Koolhof in the second game but the Dutch duo quickly bounced back as they won the following three games to make it all tied at 3-3 after the opening six games.
Mektic and Skugor then paid the price for not realizing any of their three set points in the 12th game as Haase and Koolhof dominated the tie-break to claim the first set.
The Croatians broke the Dutch duo in the opening game of the second set but their lead once again was short-lived as they got broken back immediately in the following game.
Haase and Koolhof appeared to be on the brink of clinching a straight-set win after breaking Mektic and Skugor in the eighth game for a 5-3 lead but then failed to serve out for the match.
The Croatians managed to force a tie-break -- where they won the first six points -- before converting their fourth set point to clinch a decider.
Mektic and Skugor then completed a comeback by saving a match point in the 18th point of the match tie-break and then realizing their first match point in the 20th point.
Mektic and Skugor, who were playing together for the first time this season, have won their first team title.
Mektic and Skugor won 76 percent of their first serve points, converted 3-of-12 of their break point chances and saved 1-of-4 of Haase and Koolhof's break point opportunities in just over two hours of play.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2VZuTX9
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