Jean Julien Rojer from the Netherlands and Horia Tecau from Romania clinched the 2017 US Open men’s doubles title after beating Feliciano and Marc Lopez 6-4 6-3.
The Romanian and Dutch team have won their second Grand Slam title two years after lifting the 2015 Wimbledon Trophy. They finished that season at the top of the ATP doubles Ranking after winning the ATP Finals title in the London O2 Arena.
Rojer and Tecau won just one title in 2016 in Madrid but failed to qualify for the ATP Finals. They struggled in the early months of 2017 in which they were knocked out in the Round of 16 at the Australian Open and and at the French Open and in the first round at Wimbledon. they peaked at the right time in August reeling off a winning streak of ten consecutive matches, including their 15th doubles title together at the Winston Salem Open just one week before their triumph at the US Open, dropping just two sets during this period. Besides their double on US soil in Winston Salem and New York, they also won two more titles in Dubai and Geneva.
Feliciano and Marc Lopez broke Rojer and Tecau in the seventh game of the first set to take a 4-3 lead. Rojer and Tecau bounced back by reeling off the next three games to clinch the opening set.
Rojer and Tecau fended off three break points before getting the crucial break in the fourth game of the second set to take a 3-1 lead. Tecau fought back from 15-40 to hold serve to buil up a 4-1 lead. Tecau and Rojer converted their third Championship point, as the Dutchman hit a forehand volley.
“It’s been a tough set to hold serve for me. I was grinding to hold serve in the second set. They had a lot of chances and I was fighting hard to hold. We were just focusing on trying to get one more point, don’t focus on the title and see what happens”, said Tecau.
Rojer and Tecau hit 41 winners to 7 unforced errors, compared to the 25 winners and 10 unforced errors produced by Feliciano and Marc’Lopez.
Feliciano and Marc Lopez, who won their first Grand Slam doubles title last year at the French Open, lost their second final this year after finishing runner-up at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters.
“The key to the whole thing is that you need to communicate and be out there and fight together. These are pressure-packed situations. That’s a strength of ours. We have had a great two weeks. We played well in all the matches and we did so again today. Congratulations to Marc and Feliciano. They are very good friends of ours. They had a great week and were very deserving. It came down to a few points and it was a very close match”, said Rojer.
