Alexander Peya and Nikola Mektic are eliminated in the semi-finals of the French Open 2018. The Austrian-Croatian pairing was defeated by local heroes Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert 3:6 and 4:6.
By Jens Huiber from Paris
As a doubles player, Alexander Peya is used to not having his half of the court to himself. In the last few months Nikola Mektic has usually been at the Viennese’s side, but at the first acquaintance with the court Suzanne Lenglen shortly after ten o’clock on Thursday, Peya joined a man with whom he also wanted to get to know professionally in Roland Garros: Mate Pavic, double partner of Oliver Marach.
Pavic, however, was not quite ready with his thoughts, he played Gabriela Dabrowski warmly, with whom the Croatian then played the final in mixed – and lost to the pairing Latisha Chang and Ivan Dodig in the match tiebreak.
Peya and Mektic started well against local heroes Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Mahut and had a chance to break in their first game. Herbert refused, as did Mektic with his own service immediately afterwards. Mahut then became a tragic figure: First he gave up his serve for 1:2, then an accidental ball from his partner hit him from close range in the ear.
A 12-minute break followed, Mahut could continue playing. And the French took command, re-breaking Mektic 3-3 to get Peya’s service to the decisive advantage in the first round.
Nikola Mektic also had to give up his serve at the beginning of round two, the hope for a comeback sprouted only briefly: Mektic/Peya managed the re-break against Herbert despite 0:40, but the Austrian immediately gave up his serve again. The French kept their nerve, did not allow anything on their own serve and secured themselves a place in the final after 95 minutes.
Nevertheless, Alexander Peya and Nikola Mektic will be a success at the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. Not least with regard to a starting place at the end of the season in London’s O2 Arena.
In Paris, Oliver Marach and his partner Mate Pavic still have the chance to make it into the final. Their semi-final against Marc and Feliciano Lopez is scheduled for Friday.