Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva capped off their first event together with the Women’s Doubles title at the US Open, beating third seeds Nicole Melichar and Yifan Xu in straight sets to win the title at Flushing Meadows.
Siegemund and Zvonareva had used a protected ranking to get into the draw though had gone on a stellar run in New York, highlighted by their win over defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Elise Mertens in the last eight.
On paper, the German-Russian duo were underdogs against Melichar and Xu, who began their partnership at the beginning of the season, though it was Siegemund and Zvonareva who were in control of the contest. The duo dropped serve just once as they prevailed 6-4, 6-4 to take the title on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
More Grand Slam success for Siegemund and Zvonareva
It was a dominant start from Siegemund and Zvonareva. The duo were in complete control of the opening stages, with some highly entertaining tennis seeing them break the third seeds twice and take five games in a row for a 5-1 lead in the first set.
Melichar and Xu responded with three straight games to apply some pressure on Siegemund and Zvonareva, though were unable to complete the comeback. At the second time of asking, the German-Russian duo closed out the set to go just a set away from the title.
The third seeds would have been hoping for a strong start to the second set but did not get that, with Melichar and Xu broken in the first game of the set to leave them with a mountain to climb to get back into the contest.
They were able to avoid falling a double break behind but were unable to get close to breaking back, with Siegemund and Zvonareva looking impenetrable on serve. Serving at 5-4, they converted a first match point to take the title.
It is a second Grand Slam title for Siegemund, having won the Mixed Doubles title in New York alongside Mate Pavic four years ago, and a first since a career-threatening leg injury sustained in 2017. For Zvonareva this is a fifth Grand Slam title, her first since the Australian Open Women’s Doubles in 2012 and first in New York since 2006, and her first major win since returning to the tour of a mother.