Slam No.2 for Czech duo
From junior stars come Grand Slam champions. Five years after Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova teamed to win the Wimbledon girls’ doubles title, the Czech duo defeated Nicole Melichar and Kveta Peschke 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 to become the 2018 Wimbledon ladies’ doubles champions.
Added to victory at Roland-Garros, it was the Czech pair’s second consecutive Grand Slam title. They are the first team to achieve that feat since Kim Clijsters and Ai Sugiyama won both in Paris and at The Championships 15 years ago.
“I think it's not easy,” said Siniakova of the pair’s repeat major victory. “Every match is really tough. In the beginning of the tournament, I wouldn't (have) expected this. Now I'm here, and we have two titles. It feels just amazing.
“When we went on the court, we were expecting a really tough match … I think it doesn't matter if it's first one or second one, it's still the final. You (are) just fighting to win the title.”
Krejcikova and Siniakova, both 22 years old, showcased a remarkable maturity as they competed against their more experienced opponents. While Melichar is only slightly older at age 24, Peschke was 43 earlier this week and teamed with Katarina Srebotnik to claim the 2011 Wimbledon doubles title.
Their match rescheduled given the busy afternoon on Centre Court, the young Czechs treated the No.1 Court crowd to a showcase of teamwork, determination and problem-solving ability.
While their first break of serve, on Peschke’s serve, was immediately surrendered they consolidated another in the seventh game to take the first in 30 minutes. The pair was tested as Melichar and Peschke levelled to take the second set but confidently secured the third set in just 25 minutes.
Krejcikova explained how the victory was helped by their team synergy. “I feel like we can really communicate even if we do well or even if we don't do well. So I think that's the key. That's the key why we just play that well.
“She's really strong. She's playing powerful shots. Then on the other hand, I'm totally, like, opposite person, that I like to play with the more spin, I like to do some kind of variations or something.
“I think when we just put it together, it's really matching. It's really, like, hard for our opponent to play against us, I think.”
It marked a special afternoon for Czech tennis, with three of the four finalists from the Czech Republic. Melichar was also born in that nation, in Brno, but moved to Florida with her family as a child.
Even more special is that victory for Krejcikova and Siniakova came 20 years after Czech Grand Slam great Jana Novtona secured the 1998 Wimbledon singles and doubles titles. Krejickova was coached by Novotna, who passed away after a battle with cancer last November, and blew a kiss into the sky as a tribute.
“I'm really, really proud. I think she would be really proud, too,” said Krejcikova.
The No.3 seeds at The Championships, Krejcikova and Siniakova will now seek to add a third Grand Slam victory at the US Open. Victory there would follow a familiar pattern for the young players – in 2013, when they were also junior Wimbledon champions, they also won the girls’ doubles titles at Roland-Garros and the US Open.