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Harrison & Skupski Clinch Aus Open Men's Doubles Crown in Second Event

The American-British pairing of Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski won the Australian Open men's doubles title in only their second tournament together. They defeated the Australian wild card team of Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans in straight sets in the final. The match turned on a pivotal first-set tie-break which the sixth seeds won after trailing. Harrison sealed the championship with an ace on their second match point.

Key Points: Harrison, Skupski Win Australian Open Men's Doubles Title

  • First major as a team
  • Defeated home favorites in straight sets
  • Won crucial first-set tie-break
  • Sealed victory with an ace
2 min read

Harrison-Skupski win first major as team with Aus Open men's doubles crown

American-British duo Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski win the Australian Open men's doubles trophy, defeating home favorites Kubler and Polmans.

"The sixth-seeded Harrison and Skupski... sealed victory on their second match point after Harrison fired an ace down the T. - ATP reports"

Melbourne, Jan 31

Competing in just their second tour-level event together, Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski lifted the Australian Open men' doubles trophy in their first major as a team here on Saturday.

The American-British duo defeated home favourites Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans 7-6(4), 6-4 inside Rod Laver Arena to earn a one-hour, 49-minute championship-match triumph to claim the trophy.

Harrison and Skupski, who both competed at last year's ATP Finals with different partners, joined forces for the first time in Adelaide earlier this month, where they reached the semi-finals. The sixth seeds produced a composed performance in the semifinals to defeat Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, a two-time major-winning team in 2025, 6-3, 7-6(7) for a place in the final.

Wild card pairing Kubler and Polmans battled admirably throughout the final, and they delighted the home fans by rallying from 2-5 in the opening set to force a tie-break. Yet the momentum of the match shifted dramatically after Harrison and Skupski won four consecutive points from 3/4 to move a set ahead.

The sixth-seeded Harrison and Skupski built on that tie-break success by crucially breaking serve in the third game of the second set, and they sealed victory on their second match point after Harrison fired an ace down the T, ATP reports.

Kubler was bidding for his second Australian Open doubles crown after triumphing with Rinky Hijikata, also as wildcards, in 2023. He owned a 14-3 doubles record at his home major, according to the ATP Win/Loss Index, highlighted by his title run in 2023 alongside fellow Australian Hijikata. For Polmans, the final marked his best doubles result at Melbourne Park, surpassing his previous Australian Open high of a semi-final appearance on debut in 2017 with Andrew Whittington.

Earlier on Saturday, Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai, who last played a Grand Slam together at Wimbledon in 2022, defeated Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic 7-6(4), 6-4 to win the women's doubles crown, what is a ninth Grand Slam doubles title between them in just their seventh career event as a pair.

On Friday, Gadecki and Peers become the first pair in 37 years to defend the Australian Open mixed doubles title.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Must be heartbreaking for Kubler and Polmans, especially in front of the home crowd. They fought well from 2-5 down. Hope they get another shot soon. The Australian fans were so supportive!
R
Rohit P
Doubles tennis doesn't get enough coverage in India, but it's so strategic and fast-paced. This final sounds like it was a thriller. The tie-break turnaround was the key moment.
S
Sarah B
Interesting to see Zhang Shuai win the women's doubles too. A lot of successful new pairings this year. Makes me wonder if the traditional, settled teams are under more pressure now.
V
Vikram M
While it's a great achievement, I do feel a bit for the local players. The article mentions Kubler's amazing record here (14-3!). Sometimes the home crowd advantage can add to the pressure instead of helping. Still, a well-deserved win for the sixth seeds.
M
Michael C
Harrison closing it out with an ace down the T - that's clutch serving under pressure. Great way to finish a major final.

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