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Six years since their debut Wimbledon campaign together, Lyudmyla Kichenok and Mate Pavic completed a dream reunion — instigated by their physio — Thursday at SW19. The seventh seeds completed a tense 6-4, 6-7(9), 6-3 win against Joran Vliegen and Xu Yifan to lift the mixed doubles trophy at the grass-court major.
WTA star Kichenok and 35-time tour-level titlist Pavic let slip a championship point in the second-set tie-break before Vliegen and Xu forced a deciding set on Centre Court. The seventh seeds did not dwell on that disappointment, however, as they earned a decisive break in the eighth game of the third set en route to a two-hour, seven-minute win.
“It’s an incredible feeling, always, at Wimbledon,” said Pavic. “I played three finals here, I lifted a trophy two years ago. [This was the] first time in the mixed final, so it’s always incredible to play here. It’s always a special story with Wimbledon. I enjoyed it for these two weeks.
“Of course I want to thank Lyudmyla for playing with me. We have the same physio. He’s Croatian. [Lyudmyla and I] played in 2017 together for the first time [at Wimbledon]. After that we never played, and through him this year we got together to play Wimbledon.”
Pavic, No. 17 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings, and WTA doubles No. 15 Kichenok fired 20 winners to their opponents’ 14 for their third three-set triumph in five matches at SW19 this year. It was an emotional moment for the 30-year-old Kichenok, who became the first Ukrainian titlist of any kind in Wimbledon history.
“It feels amazing. I was enjoying being on Centre Court today a lot,” said Kichenok. “I want to thank my partner for playing incredible these two weeks.
“I just want to try to encourage the people in Ukraine with my performance,” she added. “I hope it will help them a little bit, because they are fighting for their freedom.”
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