Finland’s Henri Kontinen and Australian John Peers beat 16-time Grand Slam winners Bob and Mike Bryan to lift the Australian Open title with a 7-5, 7-5 win in Melbourne on Saturday. This was Kontinen and Peers’ third win as a doubles pair and their first major.
Despite playing their first Grand slam final, the Kontinen-Peers duo showed little signs of nerves and edged it in the first set. The big-serving Bryan brothers came back in the contest, but Kontinen went on to play a major role in the proceedings, be it his cross-court returns or backhands.
After winning the first set in a tense tie-breaker, the American duo tried hard to get back in the contest. Their booming serves helped them snatch points at crucial juntures but Kontinen continued to be a thorn in their flesh. The Bryans came out second best in the rallies too. Kontinen and Peers had a couple of attempts from championship point, before finishing things off. This is Kontinen’s second Grand Slam after lifting the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2016 alongside Heather Watson.
