Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo captured the Miami Open title with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Nicholas Monroe and Jack Sock.
Kubot/Melo win the set with a late break
The Pole Kubot began the match by holding serve with Melo. In the very next game, a breakpoint was needed, which was also a break point opportunity for the sixth seeds. An unreturnable serve out wide did the job for Sock as he and Monroe held to get on the scoreboard at 1-1. Two more service games saw all four players on the court hold their respect serves, more easily than others. The fifth game needed a deciding point, going the way of Monroe/Sock with Kubot netting. Melo won the deciding point to deny the Americans with both players failing to budge, 3-2.
With the set now reaching its climax, in the ninth game, the match seemed to have opened up a bit with double break points going on offer to the unseeded Americans after an unforced error from the Pole. The sixth seeds dug in and saved both the break points to stay in touch with Monroe/Sock at 5-4. Now serving to stay in the match at 6-5, Kubot/Melo took the game to a deciding point, which was also a set point in their favour. An aggressive volley from Kubot was met with an unforced error from Monroe with the sixth seeds taking the lead, 7-5.
Match catches fire
Kubot/Melo started the set by being taken to a deciding point before eventually holding serve. Their start got better when double break points arrived with Kubot piercing a volley towards the feet of Monroe who netted. A bullet forehand winner from the 34-year-old Pole did the job as he and Melo broke. However, Monroe/Sock didn't cave in easily and soon found themselves with three break back points. Immediately the pair broke with a wonderful forehand volley down the line thanks to Monroe. This seemed to have lifted the crowd. The unseeded pair consolidated and just soon they were behind, they were level 2-2. Now with the slight momentum on their side, Monroe/Sock went ahead and earned four break points.
But Kubot/Melo had to dig in very deep and so they did, denying the Americans and coming through a tricky game to edge ahead, 3-2. It was the sixth seeds who now seemed to have found a spring in their step, taking the game to a deciding point and bringing up a break point in the process. A foot fault by Sock gave the game and the break back to Kubot/Melo, who also went on to hold serve and consolidate for 4-2. Both teams then held serve, leaving the sixth seeds to serve for the match at 5-3. Up 15-30, Melo hit a piercing volley winner to bring up triple championship points. Game, set and match Kubot/Melo thanks to a low volley.