First ATP title for new star Croatian doubles team
- by croatiaweek
- in Sport
12 January 2021 – Croatian Davis Cup teammates Mate Pavić and Nikola Mektić joined forces in 2021 and have won their first tournament as a team in their first outing of the year.
Pavić and Mektić have won the Antalya Open, an ATP Tour 250 series tennis tournament which ended today in Turkey.
Pavić and Mektić beat fellow Croatian Ivan Dodig and Filip Polášek in the final 6-2, 6-4 to cap off a winning start to the new combination. The Croatians only lost one set and four games on their way to the title.
This is Pavić’s 18th ATP title and Mektić’s 9th of their careers.
Mate Pavić (Photo credit: si.robi/Creative Commons share alike license)
Both Pavić and Mektić had great a 2020. Pavić and his former partner Bruno Soares ended last year as the the world’s No.1 doubles team, whilst Mektić and his doubles partner Wesley Koolhof won the Nitto ATP Finals trophy in London.
Mektić was the first Croatian to capture a trophy at the ATP finals.
This year they have decided to team up and today’s trophy could be the first of many for the talented Croatians.
