Lyudmyla Kichenok was presupposed to get married this week to Jelena Ostapenko‘s coach. A run to the US Open ladies’s doubles championship compelled a change of plans.
Kichenok and Ostapenko gained the title Friday for his or her first main as a staff, beating Kristina Mladenovic and Zhang Shuai 6-4, 6-3.
Kichenok stated she and Stanislav Khmarskiy had been presupposed to get married Wednesday, the day she and Ostapenko gained their US Open semifinal match.
“It is a good excuse to postpone it a bit,” Ostapenko stated through the trophy ceremony.
The No. 7 seeds started the season with a loss within the Australian Open last however had been too good in Flushing Meadows, the place they did not drop a set and gained $750,000.
“We’re a very nice staff, and I believe it was simply an incredible two weeks,” Ostapenko stated through the on-court trophy presentation. “We did not count on something. We had been simply taking part in higher and higher each match. We did not lose one set, so it was a very good event.”
It was the fifth title collectively general for Ostapenko, a Latvian who gained the 2017 French Open in singles, and Kichenok, who devoted the victory to her residence nation of Ukraine.
“They’re combating actually onerous for our freedom proper now, and I simply hope I can provide them some encouragement,” Kichenok stated, “and my coronary heart is with them.”
Mladenovic has gained six Grand Slam doubles titles however fell to 0-3 in US Open finals. Zhang was on the lookout for her second trophy in New York, having teamed with Sam Stosur for the 2021 title.
“For me the most important motivation is I needed to place our title on this trophy,” Zhang stated. “However we’ll battle subsequent time.”
Ostapenko and Kichenok broke within the second sport for an early benefit and, after Mladenovic and Zhang acquired the set again on serve, had a large maintain in an eight-deuce sport throughout which they fought off 5 break factors for a 5-4 lead. Zhang finally gifted the subsequent sport with a double fault on the second set level.
Within the second set, Zhang and Mladenovic broke early for a 2-0 lead, however Ostapenko and Kichenok broke Zhang to achieve 3-3 and broke Mladenovic at love to achieve 5-3. Mladenovic and Zhang fought off three match factors — the final when a video evaluation confirmed that Kichenok had hit the ball twice on an tried volley — earlier than the champions wrapped it up on their subsequent probability.
“I nonetheless have goosebumps after match level. It feels wonderful,” stated Kichenok, who now has two Grand Slam titles after profitable the Wimbledon blended doubles occasion in 2023. “I am blessed to have such associate by my facet on the court docket. Thanks for carrying me these two weeks.”
The Related Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
