Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik erased a deep match-tiebreak deficit in New York on Wednesday night, saving two match points before edging Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev 5-4(6), 3-5, [11-9] to book a place in the US Open mixed doubles final.
Muchova and Mensik set Bencic-Cobolli final at US Open
SEO Title: Muchova and Mensik rally into US Open mixed doubles final
SEO Description: Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik saved two match points to reach the US Open mixed doubles final, where Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli await.
Quick facts
- Muchova and Mensik beat Andreeva and Rublev 5-4(6), 3-5, [11-9].
- Bencic and Cobolli defeated Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils 4-5(7), 4-1, [10-5].
- The No. 4 seeds Bencic and Cobolli are 7-0 together and have lost only two sets as a team.
- The final will use six-game sets, with a 10-point match tiebreak replacing a deciding third set.
- The winning pair will receive the $1 million prize.
The Czech partnership trailed 3-0 in the deciding tiebreak and later found themselves down 8-5, but their contrasting games again clicked when the pressure peaked. Muchova’s touch and court craft had already helped secure the opening set, which she ended with a winning volley at the net.
Andreeva and Rublev recovered from a break down to take the second set, pushing the semifinal into the match tiebreak. Mensik then took charge with his serve, repeatedly adding aces as the contest reached its decisive stretch.
With a match point to save, the 20-year-old fired an ace to make it 9-9. Another unreturned delivery gave Muchova and Mensik their own opportunity, and they completed the escape by taking the last four points of the match.
Bencic and Cobolli, Indian Wells champions and the fourth seeds, had to produce a comeback of their own in the earlier semifinal. Svitolina and Monfils took the first set, the first set Bencic and Cobolli had surrendered during their run.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, Bencic and Cobolli faced three break points but defended each one. They then swept the final four games to force the match tiebreak, where their work around the net proved particularly effective.
The victory kept Bencic and Cobolli unbeaten as a pair at 7-0. They have dropped just two sets across that streak and will now pursue a second title together.
The final changes the format used earlier in the event: sets will be played to six games rather than four. If the teams split the first two sets, a 10-point match tiebreak will decide the US Open mixed doubles champions.
