Doubles Take: Men's US Open final on tap

After a near-epic semifinal day, the first champions of the US Open will be crowned. Here’s your look at the men’s final, Doubles Take-style.

There’s nothing like a Grand Slam final to turn around what was looking like a lost year.

Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo dominated in 2017, with a Wimbledon championship and three Masters 1000 crowns among their title haul. Their follow-up campaign hadn’t go as planned, however: Going into the US Open, the duo only had two first-place finishes, six months apart. And the summer hard-court stretch was difficult, as well, as they compiled a 1-4 record.

Now, after getting hot at the right time, the veterans are in their second career Grand Slam final together, while showcasing the ability that took them to the top of the men’s game.

Kubot and Melo will be facing the team that succeeded them as Wimbledon champions, Jack Sock and Mike Bryan. That title came in only the Americans’ second tournament together.

Semi-regular partners while Bob Bryan is out, Mike and Sock have found a comfort zone with each other: They didn’t drop a set in their first four matches, and then when they were tested in the semis against Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah, they scraped out a three-set win.

Sock will be the wild card in the final as he takes the court with three specialists who’ve been near the top of the game for years now. This year, the 25-year-old has shown he can hang with the best of them, winning four titles with as many partners.

As Bryan and Sock look to delight the home crowd, Melo and Kubot will be out to spoil the party and firmly put their struggles on the year behind them

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