Doubles ace Erin Routliffe has created history, becoming the first Kiwi to claim a US Open tennis title, winning the women's crown at New York.
Routlifee, 28, and Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski have overcome German Laura Siegemund and Russian Vera Zvonareva 7-6 6-3 to cap a successful run through the draw at Flushing Meadows.
The 12th-seeded pair needed a tense 11-9 tiebreak to win the opening set, but broke their opponents' serve twice in the second - including the winning game - to emerge victorious. They will split US$700,000 in prizemoney.
Their opponents previously won the US Open title in 2020, while Siegemund also took the mixed doubles crown with Croatian Mate Pavic in 2016. Zvonareva was won five Grand Slam doubles titles and contested two singles finals.
Routliffe and Dabrowski have only recent combined oncourt for instant success. The Kiwi had previously reached quarter-finals the 2022 Australian Open in mixed doubles and women's doubles at last year's Wimbledon, while winning three WTA Tour titles with three different partners.
The last Kiwi woman to win a Grand Slam title was Judy Chaloner, who combined with Aussie Diane Evers to take out the 1979 Australian Open doubles. Michael Venus won a men's doubles title at the 2017 French Open.
"Doubles is sometimes not the most watched, but we really appreciate you coming to cheer for us," said Routliffe. "Thanks to Gaby for playing with me... she really took a chance on me, and I really appreciate it and love her for it.
"I hope we can have many great results to come in the future."
Routliffe and Dabrowski first teamed up at Montreal last month, reaching the round of 16, before bowing out. They reached the same state at Cincinnati a week later, before arriving at New York.
In the final, Siegemund and Zvonareva failed to convert any of the five breakpoint opportunities they had in a tightly-contested first set that required a drama-filled tiebreaker.
A quick start to the tiebreaker gave Dabrowski and Routliffe a 4-0 lead, but Siegemund and Zvonareva stormed back to make it 4-4, and even earned a pair of setpoints, but it was the Canadian and New Zealander who clinched it on their fourth setpoint.
Dabrowski and Routliffe took that momentum into the second set, where they quickly went up a double break for a 3-0 lead that set them on their way, as they went on to break again, when they closed out the match on their third championship point.
"Thank you to Erin. You took a chance on me too," said Dabrowski. "I'm really, really proud of the way that we've stood by each other through thick and thin the last two weeks.
"I think we improved a lot, even from the first tournament we played back in Montreal."
Routliffe was born in New Zealand, while her Canadian parents were sailing around the world, and stayed four years, before the family returned home. She intially played as part of the Canada national programme, but switched allegiance to her country of birth in 2017.
Newshub/Reuters
