LONDON, JUL 10 (IANS): Jelena Ostapenko and Marcelo Arevalo claimed the Wimbledon mixed doubles title after rallying from a set and a break down to defeat Australian duo Storm Hunter and Marc Polmans 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 in final.
For Ostapenko, it was her first Wimbledon title. The Latvian, who previously won the 2017 French Open singles title and the 2024 U S Open women’s doubles title, reached two Wimbledon finals before and left holding the runner-up’s salver – in the mixed doubles final in 2019 and the ladies’ doubles final last summer.
Arevalo, meanwhile, became the first player from El Salvador to win a Wimbledon title. Overall, he also secured his third Grand Slam title after winning the 2022 and 2024 Roland Garros men’s doubles titles.
The 35-year-old will have a chance to leave London with more glory on Saturday when he competes in the men’s doubles final alongside Mate Pavic.
Hunter and Polmans controlled the opening stages of the match, taking the first set 6-4 before breaking early in the second to build a 3-1 lead. Ostapenko and Arevalo responded in emphatic fashion, winning six of the next eight games.
They broke serve twice to capture the second set 7-5 and force a decider.
With the Centre Court roof closed before the third set, Ostapenko and Arevalo maintained their momentum.
They secured breaks in the fourth and eighth games to seal the comeback victory in 1 hour, 56 minutes, WTA reports.
Ruthless Zverev spoils Fery’s Wimbledon dream to power into final
Alexander Zverev ended the remarkable Wimbledon run of Briton Arthur Fery with a 7-6(0) 6-2 6-4 victory on Friday to reach the final, where he will have an opportunity to win back-to-back Grand Slam trophies after his French Open success.
Fresh off his Roland Garros triumph that handed him a long-awaited breakthrough after years of heartbreak, the German made his fifth major title clash and will battle reigning Wimbledon champion Jannik Sinner or seven-times winner Novak Djokovic.
On a warm afternoon punctuated by gusts of wind, Zverev took time to find his stride as he traded breaks early with Fery, but it was all smooth sailing in the tiebreak where the 29-year-old did not drop a point to win the first set.
Fery, bidding to become the second man to make a major final as a wildcard after Goran Ivanisevic at Wimbledon in 2001, kept pushing in the next set, but he quickly found himself down 1-4 as his more experienced opponent dialled up the intensity.
The vociferous Centre Court crowd rallied behind Fery after the 23-year-old appeared to let his frustrations boil over, but they were soon silenced when Zverev unshackled his fiery serve and forehand to tighten his grip on the match.
Up two sets to love, Zverev continued to dominate Fery and breezed through in clinical fashion to ensure he became only the 13th man in the professional era since 1968 to reach all four Grand Slam finals.