Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson dropped their first set at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Clay Court Championship in Sunday's final, but the Aussies regrouped after a wild opener to claim their first title as a team.
The Aussies defeated third-seeded Britons Julian Cash and Henry Patten 4-6, 6-4, 10-5 in what was their first doubles final as a team, claiming victory at the Houston ATP 250 with their third match win in two days. The teams traded seven breaks of serve in the first set, but Purcell/Thompson did not drop serve in the second, saving the only break point they faced. They never trailed in the Match Tie-break and capped their comeback by winning the final three points of the match.
"We had a little bit of a slow start. They were all over us early and we just had to try and figure it out and see what worked," Thompson said post-match. "We snuck through a couple of big points and then I think we kind of got on a roll in that [Match Tie-break]."
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Now boasting a 7-1 tour-level record, the team that sent Australia to the 2022 Davis Cup Finals championship round with a win against Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic are champions on the ATP Tour. It is a third title for the 25-year-old Purcell, who won the Houston crown and the Wimbledon trophy with countryman Matthew Ebden last season, and a second for the 28-year-old Thompson, who won the 2017 Brisbane title with Thanasi Kokkinakis. Purcell is also a two-time Australian Open finalist (2020 with Luke Saville, 2022 with Ebden).
Purcell, who also reached the singles second round in Houston, reflected on his personal title defence: "Two different partners, which is also cool, two different experiences," he said. "It would be nice to come back [and win] for a third time."
Britons Cash and Patten, who won a record 10 ATP Challenger Tour titles together last season, fell in their first ATP Tour final. Their run backed up a semi-final showing earlier this season in Pune, and their three wins in Houston moved them up eight places to 26th place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings.
The Aussies defeated third-seeded Britons Julian Cash and Henry Patten 4-6, 6-4, 10-5 in what was their first doubles final as a team, claiming victory at the Houston ATP 250 with their third match win in two days. The teams traded seven breaks of serve in the first set, but Purcell/Thompson did not drop serve in the second, saving the only break point they faced. They never trailed in the Match Tie-break and capped their comeback by winning the final three points of the match.
"We had a little bit of a slow start. They were all over us early and we just had to try and figure it out and see what worked," Thompson said post-match. "We snuck through a couple of big points and then I think we kind of got on a roll in that [Match Tie-break]."
[ATP APP]
Now boasting a 7-1 tour-level record, the team that sent Australia to the 2022 Davis Cup Finals championship round with a win against Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic are champions on the ATP Tour. It is a third title for the 25-year-old Purcell, who won the Houston crown and the Wimbledon trophy with countryman Matthew Ebden last season, and a second for the 28-year-old Thompson, who won the 2017 Brisbane title with Thanasi Kokkinakis. Purcell is also a two-time Australian Open finalist (2020 with Luke Saville, 2022 with Ebden).
Purcell, who also reached the singles second round in Houston, reflected on his personal title defence: "Two different partners, which is also cool, two different experiences," he said. "It would be nice to come back [and win] for a third time."
Britons Cash and Patten, who won a record 10 ATP Challenger Tour titles together last season, fell in their first ATP Tour final. Their run backed up a semi-final showing earlier this season in Pune, and their three wins in Houston moved them up eight places to 26th place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings.