Doubles Take: Chan, Dodig win French mixed title

Roland Garros has a winner, plus a look at the last semifinal matches in the daily Doubles Take.

Surprisingly, it’s taken a while for Latisha Chan to find her way back to the winners’ circle.

She got there again in a major way, winning the French Open mixed doubles title with Ivan Dodig as the duo beat 2018 Australian Open champions and top seeds Mate Pavic and Gabriela Dabrowski in a final that went down to the wire.

It’s the first mixed doubles title for the second seeds, an achievement that got some props from Chan’s recently retired partner.

In men’s doubles, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut advanced to the men’s final. Proving they’re able to handle the pressure of advancing this far in front of the home crowd, the Frenchmen beat Nikola Mektic and Alexander Peya to reach the championship match for the first time.

Here’s a look at the last of the semifinal matches.

Andrea Hlavackova/Barbora Strycova (2) vs. Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova (6): This all-Czech semifinal matchup is the epitome of youth vs. experience. It was only five years ago when Krejcikova and Siniakova won the girls’ French Open title, one of three Slams they claimed over the course of 2013. The duo has been at this stage of the adult tournament before, reaching the semis in 2016. Hlavackova and Strycova have only gotten stronger as the tournament’s progressed: Their ability to handle high-stake situations built through years of playing Fed Cup, plus Hlavackova’s own Slam-winning pedigree, could carry them through this match.

Oliver Marach/Mate Pavic (2) vs. Feliciano Lopez/Marc Lopez (12): It was only two years ago that Lopez and Lopez each claimed their first Grand Slam title when they unexpectedly won the French Open.

Now, the Spaniards are facing the best team on tour in 2018 in Marach and Pavic. Can they recapture the title? It’ll be a battle: Pavic missed out on a third major for the year with his loss in the mixed final. He’ll come out extra-motivated to stay on track for another Slam in men’s doubles.

Hao-Ching Chan/Zhaoxuan Yang (8) vs. Eri Hozumi/Makoto Ninomiya: Will Chan follow in her big sister Latisha’s footsteps and reach a final this tournament? Chan and Yang have quietly made their way to this stage of the French Open, which is quite the opposite from their opponents. Hozumi and Ninomiya have beaten three seeded opponents in a row, most recently the top team in the draw, Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic. This one’s a toss-up.

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