New York, Aug 28:
Czech stars Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik won the US Open mixed doubles championship, defeating Belinda Bencic of Switzerland and Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in a thrilling final.
Muchova and Mensik won 6-3, 1-6, 10-6 to claim their first Grand Slam title together and emerge victorious from the revamped mixed doubles event.
The Czech pair made a strong start, with Mensik’s powerful serving and effective net play helping them take the opening set. Bencic and Cobolli responded strongly to level the contest before the match was decided in the championship tie-break.
Muchova and Mensik held their nerve in the deciding stages to complete the victory.
Their triumph came after a dramatic semifinal in which they saved two match points against Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev.
The victory also earned the pair the tournament’s $1 million prize.
The US Open’s new mixed doubles format attracted several leading singles stars and added considerable attention to the event ahead of the main singles competition.
For Muchova and Mensik, the title marked a memorable Grand Slam breakthrough as a partnership