Misc Tennis

Wimbledon 2023 results: Britain’s Neal Skupski wins maiden Grand Slam title with Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof

Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof playing at Wimbledon

Skupski has only ever reached the third round of Wimbledon
Venue: All England Club Dates: 3-16 July
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Britain’s Neal Skupski won a maiden Grand Slam men’s doubles title at Wimbledon alongside Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof.

The top seeds beat Spain’s Marcel Granollers and Argentinian Horacio Zeballos 6-4 6-4.

Skupski dropped to the Centre Court turf as he became the first Briton to win the mixed and men’s doubles titles at SW19 since 1926.

It is his third successive title here, having won the mixed in 2021 and 2022.

Skupski and Koolhof had never won a Grand Slam together after teaming up 18 months ago and the Briton said after they reached the final it would be the “pinnacle” to achieve the feat at the All England Club.

Skupski did not even wait for the ball to be called out on match point before throwing himself on to the grass in celebration, lying there stunned before running to embrace his partner. He then fist-pumped towards his box and eventually climbed up to it to hug friends and family, a tradition that has become synonymous with Wimbledon title victories.

“I don’t know what to say. This feeling at the moment doesn’t get any better,” Skupski said.

“Me and Wesley came together and this year it was one of our goals to win a Grand Slam. Now that we’ve done it, it feels very special.”

The last Briton to win the men’s doubles title was Jonathan Marray, who triumphed with Danish partner Frederik Nielsen 11 years ago, while it is almost 100 years since Leslie Godfree won the men’s doubles title with Randolph Lycett in 1923 and the mixed doubles title with Kitty Godfree three years later.

Having won the mixed doubles for the last two years with American partner Desirae Krawczyk, Skupski was bidding to become the first Briton to win a non-wheelchair Wimbledon title in three consecutive years since 1937 when Dorothy Round did it.

The pair bided their time and a first break point arrived in the seventh game after some clever returning and pressure at the net with the duo securing it when Granollers hit a double fault.

A confident service game from Liverpudlian Skupski followed with a hold to 15 before Zeballos hit an ace to save set point and force Koolhof to serve it out, which he did with a convincing hold to love.

Skupski and Koolhof needed just one break of serve in the second set and it came in the fifth game…

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