the couple Mahut-Herbert imposes itself in the tournament of the "masters"

The two French players won the doubles final of the Masters on Sunday in London against South Africa's Raven Klaasen and New Zealander Michael Venus.

Time to Reading 2 min.

Pierre-Hugues Herbert (in the foreground) and Nicolas Mahut, Sunday, November 17 during the Masters final. Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP

Their story has been complicated to say the least this year. But they end this one apotheosis. Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert won Sunday, November 17 in London, the Masters tournament which brings together each end of the season the best tennis players in the world.

The French pair defeated South African Raven Klaasen and New Zealander Michael Venus in the doubles final, winning in two sets (6-3, 6-4) in one hour and ten minutes.

Before playing this second straight final of the Masters (they lost to Americans Mike Bryan / Jack Socken in 2018), Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert had made a clear round: undefeated in their previous four games ( three in the group stage and the semifinal), they had not conceded any set.

The two Frenchmen, who participated in their fifth Masters, had arrived in London " with envy, a lot of positive and good energy ". It must be said that they came out of a period rather pompous, with a semifinal disputed at the ATP 500 of Vienna (Austria), then a victory at the Masters 1000 of Paris-Bercy, early November: their 14e title conquered together.

Read also Tennis: The Mahut-Herbert pair wins the Paris Masters 1000

A temporary separation, complicated reunion

However, a few months earlier, their shared history, marked by four Grand Slam titles (the four main tournaments of the circuit) and the conquest of six of the nine Masters 1000 circuit, seemed to have a little lead in the wing.

Read also Tennis: Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert enter the history of double

The two players had separated in early spring. Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 28 years old, announced at the beginning of March to the one who is accomplice for five years, that he intended to privilege his career in singles. The idea was to make a three-month break, to end up at the Cincinnati 1000 Masters in August.

Nicolas Mahut (37) then turned to Edouard Roger-Vasselin with whom he went to the finals at the Wimbledon and Metz tournaments before winning in Tokyo and then again in a semi-final in Shanghai. .

But when, at Wimblebon in July, Pierre-Hugues Herbert doubled up with Andy Murray, there was a cold snap. The reunion in August was complicated. " We had trouble replaying together " acknowledged Nicolas Mahut.

A frank discussion in New York put them in the right direction. "It is certain that, over the year, we did not play a lot together, but over the last two weeks, we played pretty well with the semi-final in Vienna and win at Bercy, at home"had warned Pierre-Hugues Herbert before the start of the Masters.

From Raven Klaasen and Michael Venus, their opponents in the final on Sunday in London, Nicolas Mahut said he sensed that"They might have more motivation, because it's their last game together and they'll want to finish on a nice note."

The beautiful note is for a French pair, who, after the painful break of spring and summer, left no crumbs to anyone (no set lost in a week) and has no intention of stop there.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here