PARIS (Reuters) – Japan’s Ena Shibahara and Wesley Koolhof of the Netherlands claimed their maiden Grand Slam title when they beat Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Joran Vliegen of Belgium 7-6(5) 6-2 to win the French Open mixed doubles final on Thursday.
The second seeds cruised through the second set after a tense opener on a sunkissed court Philippe Chatrier as Koolhof added to his 2020 ATP Tour Finals title in the men’s doubles.
Shibahara and Koolhof broke early in the first set, only for the Eikeri and Vliegen to break back for 4-5 before the set was decided in a tiebreak, with Shibahara finishing it off at the net for the second-seeded pair to take the lead.
She wrapped up the first final of this year’s Roland Garros with the pair’s sixth ace of the match.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)
