Wimbledon: Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell win men’s doubles title

Australian pair Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell won the Wimbledon men’s doubles title, overcoming defending champions Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in a fifth-set tie-break.

They prevailed 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-4 7-6 (10-2) after four hours 11 minutes on Centre Court.

It is their first Grand Slam title together at the fourth attempt.

Mektic, 33, and Pavic, 29, were bidding to become the first team to retain the men’s doubles title at the All England Club since 2009.

The Croat pair have won 14 titles since first partnering at the 2021 Australian Open and had won 13 successive matches in reaching Saturday’s final, following their successes at Queen’s and Eastbourne prior to Wimbledon.

The first two sets of a competitive and entertaining match had to be settled by tie-breaks, with Ebden and Purcell edging the first before Mektic and Pavic won six of the final seven points to take the second.

Olympic champions Mektic and Pavic recorded the first break of the contest in the opening game of set three and did not encounter any trouble until they were tasked with serving out the set – facing a break point before eventually claiming their fifth set point to move ahead.

But Ebden, a runner-up in the mixed doubles event, and Purcell were able to force a decider with a break of serve in the 10th game of set four.

Mektic and Pavic appeared on course for victory after consolidating a break for a 4-2 lead but their opponents were not finished, breaking back to set up a dramatic conclusion to the delight of the crowd.

And it was the Australian 14th seeds who were able to produce a final flurry to dominate the first-to-10 champions tie-break, Ebden clinching the title with an ace.

They are the first Wimbledon champions in any event to save match points in multiple matches, having saved three match points in their first-round match and five in their semi-final.