With a comeback victory in the Cinch Championships final on Sunday, the Croatian team of Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic won their third ATP Tour championship of the 2022 season. The second seeds defeated Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara 3-6, 7-6(3), 10-6 at The Queen's Club in London, winning their third Match Tie-break in as many matches.
"I was a little kid watching this tournament so many times," Mektic said during the trophy ceremony. "This is my first ever match on this court and it really is like a dream to hold this trophy now."
Pavic shared similar sentiments after claiming his 12th tour-level title with his countryman. "I haven't played on this court since 2018, and it's always a special feeling to be here, to play on this court," he said. "It's an amazing feeling and we're happy to win the title."
Following a blazing start from their opponents, the reigning Wimbledon winners never trailed in the second-set tie-break or the Match Tie-break. The unseeded combination of Great Britain's Glasspool and Finland's Heliovaara sped through the first three games of the tournament, losing only one point, thanks to the support of the London crowd. However, their first break came on the contest's lone break point, as Mektic and Pavic began to find their range. The Croatians created four break chances in the second set, but made their breakthrough in the tie-break behind a pair of early mini-breaks. Big serving and fast reflexes helped them maintain that advantage and send the match to a decider.