Mertens/Zhang, Harrison/Skupski Win Australian Open Doubles

In Melbourne, Australia, Belgian player Elise Mertens and China's Zhang Shuai captured the Australian Open women's doubles title on Saturday, marking Mertens' return to the world No. 1 ranking in the discipline. Later that day, American Christian Harrison and Britain's Neal Skupski claimed the men's doubles crown, completing the doubles finals on the tournament's final day at Melbourne Park.

Mertens and Zhang, who reunited as partners after a four-year hiatus, overcame an early deficit to defeat Kazakhstan's Anna Danilina and Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic 7-6 (4), 6-4. The fourth-seeded duo trailed 3-0 and 4-1 in the opening set but mounted a comeback to force a tiebreaker, which they won convincingly in 55 minutes. In the second set, they surged to a 5-0 lead before Danilina and Krunic responded with four straight games, saving two championship points. Zhang sealed the victory with a backhand winner at the net on Mertens' serve.

The triumph marked Mertens' sixth Grand Slam doubles title, including victories at Melbourne Park in 2021 and now 2024. For Zhang, it was her third major doubles crown, following wins at the 2019 Australian Open and 2021 U.S. Open. The pair's success came...