Mattek-Sands and Safarova rally to claim US Open doubles title
ByEurosport
Updated 11/09/2016 at 23:58 GMT
Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova beat number one seeds Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic 2-6 7-6(5) 6-4 to claim the US Open doubles title.
Garcia and Mladenovic, who claimed the French Open title back in June, took a comfortable first set 6-2 in half an hour but the second stanza was a more fraught affair lasting 58 minutes.
Mattek-Sands and Safarova edged it to force a deciding set.
Having forced a third, the 12th-seeded Mattek-Sands and Safarova secured an early break in the decider for a 2-0 lead before serving it out to secure a third grand slam title.
"It was a little bit of a slow start but I've got to give credit to our opponents," said Mattek-Sands. "They came out playing big, serving big, making all their rolls, ripping returns.
"I think one of the things that we do really well is we don't get too down no matter what the score is."
With the win, Mattek-Sands and Safarova close in on a career doubles grand slam, having hoisted trophies at the Australian and French Open last year.
Mattek-Sands said adding a Wimbledon title was not on her mind right now.
"We have so many tournaments before Wimbledon," said Mattek-Sands, who wore Stars and Stripes knee-high socks and wrist bands on a day the U.S. Open staged a remembrance for those who died in the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers 15 years ago.
"I don't even know if we can start to think about it.
"I mean, this is a huge win. We both looked at each other and we said, 'We have a U.S. Open trophy right now'.
"I think especially being 9/11, it's really a big thing to enjoy the people you're with, enjoy the moment. I get a little emotional."
Additional reporting via Reuters
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