What a memorable week it has been for Croatian doubles team Nikola Mektić and Franko Škugor!
In their first joint appearance since Basel in 2017, the Croatian duo clinched the Masters 1000 Series tournament title in Monte Carlo on Sunday. The Zagreb-Šibenik combo defeated Dutch team Robin Haase and Wesley Koolhof in three sets – 6:7 (3), 7:6 (3), 11:9, after a dramatic finish where they saved a match point, reports the Croatian Tennis Federation on April 21, 2019.
Nikola and Franko could have solved the game in two sets, as they dropped a 3-0 advantage in the first set and had three chances to win in the second set with a 6:5 lead, however, it made for a thrilling final in the end.
After the lost set, the Croatian duo found a way to come back against the Dutch who were serving for the title with a 5:3 lead but failed to keep the service. Mektić and Škugor were convincing in the second tie-break, forcing the decision into the roulette of the extended tie-break. Haase and Koolhof were leading 7:5, and at 9: 8 at their service, they had a match-point, but Mektić and Škugor played their best points of the duel and eventually raised the winning trophy.
This is the seventh ATP title of Mektić’s career (the third in 2019) and his third Masters 1000 Series tournament title. Škugor has achieved his fifth title, the most impressive of his career, with nine consecutive wins after celebrating in Marrakech (Melzer) last week.
Most importantly, Mektić has achieved the ranking of his career, coming in at fifth place on the ATP list for doubles, which is a fantastic achievement. Škugor has jumped another five positions this week and is currently 17th place on the ATP doubles list.
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