Mektic/Pavic Set Evans/Skupski Rematch In Monte-Carlo

Croatians Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic reached their sixth final in eight events this year on Saturday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. The second seeds recovered from 3-6, 2-4 down to defeat Marcel Granollers of Spain and Argentine Horacio Zeballos 3-6, 7-5, 10-4 in the opening match of the day on Court Rainier III.

Mektic and Pavic, who are 4-1 in title matches this season, will attempt to claim their second straight ATP Masters 1000 trophy on Sunday. Earlier this month, the Croatian pair defeated Daniel Evans and Neal Skupski to win its maiden Masters 1000 team trophy at the Miami Open presented by Itau – and they will aim to repeat that result after booking a championship rematch in the Principality.

Granollers and Zeballos were attempting to move one win away from their third Masters 1000 title as a pair. The fourth seeds did not drop a set en route to the final four at the Monte-Carlo Country Club.

Hours after bowing out in singles to fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, Evans was back on court with Skupski to continue his Monte-Carlo run in doubles. The pair needed an hour and 36 minutes to defeat top seeds Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 7-6(0), 2-6, 10-4.

[WATCH LIVE 1]

There was nothing to separate the unseeded Brits from the top-ranked Colombians for much of a tightly-contested opening set, before Evans and Skupski pulled away in the tie-break. After Cabal and Farah levelled the score at a set apiece, Evans and Skupski found their best tennis in the decider. A laser backhand return from Skupski and an inch-perfect lob from Evans set up match point, before Evans served it out. 

The victory sent Evans and Skupski, who are contesting just their second tournament of the year as a team, into their second consecutive Masters 1000 final.

Did You Know?
Mektic is attempting to win his second straight Monte-Carlo crown. The 32-year-old lifted the 2019 trophy alongside Franko Skugor.