Three years after Nicolas Mahut and Edouard Roger-Vasselin last contested a Wimbledon gentlemen’s doubles final, the French duo are back.
But there’s a twist for the No.11 seeds: in 2016, Mahut triumphed with Pierre-Hugues Herbert, while Roger-Vasselin and his then-partner Julien Benneteau were the vanquished finalists.
This year, the Frenchmen have thrived together. “It gives me another chance to win the title, that's most important,” said Roger-Vasselin. “I have good memories of the tournament in 2016 but we wanted one more step so hopefully now I have another chance to the big trophy.”
They next face Colombian duo Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah in the final.
Certainly the signs from The Championships this year are promising for Mahut and Roger-Vasselin. A first-time Grand Slam pairing has clicked beautifully for the veterans, reaping wins against three-time champions Bob and Mike Bryan, as well as top seed Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo in the quarter-finals.
Outclassing the Croatian-Slovakian duo of Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek 6-2,7-6(7), 7-6(2) in the semi-finals, Mahut and Roger-Vasselin showed the best of their vast experience.
“We played a couple of tournaments together already, so we know each other but for sure, our first Grand Slam to reach the final is a great achievement,” said Roger-Vasselin, who has in fact claimed six of 18 professional doubles titles with Mahut.
“For sure we are a good team, we know we can play well. This is also why we work together on that tournament. We want to win one more match this week.”
Gaining the first two service breaks of the match to lead 4-0 in the opening set, the Frenchmen took a 6-2 in 29 minutes. A tense second set was far more even, remaining on serve until Roger-Vasselin saved a set point at 5-6 on his service game.
That save would prove crucial. Mahut and Roger-Vasselin jumped to a 5-2 lead in a second-set tie-break, but with some lightning exchanges at the net, Dodig and Polasek wrestled back momentum. They held a second set point, which Mahut saved with a net forehand winner.
The Frenchmen missed their first set point opportunity but took a two-set lead when Roger-Vasselin – a winner of the 2014 Roland-Garros title with Benneteau – ripped an inside-out forehand winner.
“We were a little bit fortunate at the end of the second set. We saved set points at 5-4 down and even in the tie-breaker. For me that was the key moment,” Mahut related. “Turning two sets to love, that was really positive for us. in the third set we were already two sets up. It was a great battle out there and a little bit of help to win in three sets.”
The French duo played the big points well. They saved four break points in the opening service game of the third set and while they couldn’t convert one of their own in the fourth game, Mahut and Roger-Vasselin quickly gained an advantage in the third-set tie-break.
Jumping to a 5-2 lead at that critical juncture, a Mahut ace brought up four match points. They seized the two hour, 28-minute victory with a netted backhand return from Polasek.
Cabal and Farah staved off a fierce challenge from Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus. It took the No.2 seeds three hours and five minutes to record a 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(2), 6-4 semi-final victory over the South African and New Zealander.
Runners-up at the Australian Open in 2018, the Colombians have underlined their passion for a first Grand Slam title at The Championships. The No.2-seeded pair saved five match points in the quarter-finals against Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau, taking four hours and 32 minutes to claim a 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(8), 6-4, 11-9 victory. Cabal and Farah warmed up for Wimbledon with a first grass court doubles title in Eastbourne.
They’ll expect another battle against the experienced Frenchmen, with Mahut especially experiencing his most memorable moments at the All England Club. The winner of the Wimbledon boys’ title in 2000, he also featured in the longest match in tennis history, losing 70-68 in the fifth set.
But it’s another doubles title now that has the 37-year-old’s full attention. “It is the greatest tournament that we have on the tennis tour. I had the chance to win the juniors 19 years ago. I played this amazing match with John (Isner) and of course won the title in 2016,” said Mahut, a four-time Grand Slam doubles champion with Herbert, including the 2019 Australian Open.
“Here there is one match to go to have a second title,” added the veteran, who would dearly love to add another with Roger-Vasselin. “It would be great. I am so proud about what I have done so far in this tournament. I'd like to have one (title) with my friend.”
