Melo-Kubot clinch Wimbledon men's doubles in 5 sets

It took four hours and 39 minutes of intense serve-dominated play on Sunday for fourth seeds Kubot and Melo to overcome the valiant No.16 seeded rivals 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(2), 3-6, 13-11.

The match saw seven points won from the eight played after the match resumed following a 10-minute suspension to allow the Centre Court roof to close after drizzle, as Melo and Kubot bagged their first Grand Slam title as a pair.

"I said to Lukasz before the match, 'Man, I did everything on my life to be here in this court. I want to enjoy as much as I can. I reached the final once before (with Ivan Dodig, losing to the Bryan brothers in 2013), but now I want to win, and I can do it'," Melo told Wimbledon website.

"After they closed the roof it was perfect for us, especially to break him love-40. The energy was so high, the atmosphere on court unbelievable. No words to describe,"

he added.

With this win, Melo will return to the No.1 ranking in men's doubles on Monday.

This was not a match that swung like a pendulum or ebbed and flowed. There was barely a cigarette paper between the two pairs all afternoon, then early evening, then evening proper and finally so late that, for the first time this year, the roof on Centre Court had to be closed and the floodlights turned on. Kubot, Melo, Marach and Pavic – names that even wizened tennis fans would struggle to place – achieved what Andy Murray and Roger Federer could not at Wimbledon 2017.

The lights coming on proved to be the decisive factor. That call was made at 11-11 in the fifth, just before 9pm, but Kubot and Melo responded better to the 10-minute break and the new conditions and broke immediately. A huge crowd stayed on Centre Court and Kubot treated them to an exuberant can-can. Pavic, distraught, hid under a towel for minutes until Marach pulled him to his feet and the pair received perhaps the loudest ovation of the day (including the women's singles final).