TENNIS AO2015 – Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli beat Frenchmen Pierre Hugues Herbert and Nicholas Mahut in the doubles final of the Australian Open in straight sets with 6-4 6-4 to become the first Italian pair to clinch a Grand Slam title since Nicola Pietrangeli and Orlando Sirola lifted the Roland Garros doubles Trophy in 1959. Diego Sampaolo
AO2015: Interviews, Results, Order of Play, Draws
Pietrangeli and Sirola reached two more finals in 1955 at the Roland Garros (losing to Vic Seixas and Tony Trabert) and in 1959 at Wimbledon (losing to Lew Hoad and Ken Rosewall)
Bolelli and Fognini played their first Grand Slam doubles final in their ninth Major tournament together.
They played for the first time in a doubles tournament in the 2011 Rome Master 1000 when they lost against John Isner and Sam Querrey.
Fognini and Bolelli won their third doubles trophy together after Umag in 2011 against Marin Cilic and Loro Zovko and Buenos Aires in 2013 against Nicholas Monroe and Simon Stadler. Herbert and Mahut were bidding to become the first French pair to win the Australian Open title since Fabrice Santoro and Michael Llodra in 2004 and the sixth French team to clinch a Grand Slam title in the Open Era after Henry Leconte and Yannick Noah in the 1984 Roland Garros, Michael Llodra and Fabrice Santoro in the 2003 and 2004 Australian Open, Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra at Wimbledon in 2007 and Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger Vasselin at Wimbledon 2014.
They played in two Grand Slam semifinals at the 2011 US Open losing to Jurgen Melzer and Phillip Petzchner and at the 2013 Australian Open losing to US twins Mike and Bob Bryan.
The Italians have a 4-1 win-loss record in Davis Cup matches and helped Italy reach the semifinal last year against Switzerland. They lost their only Davis Cup match against Andy Murray and Colin Fleming in the quarter finals in Naples.
Bolelli won the doubles title in 2011 teaming up with Horacio Zeballos in Munich.
The French pair earned three break points in the fourth game of the opening set and broke serve for 3-1. Fognini converted on the first break point in the next game for 2-3. The Italians faced a break point at 30-40 in the sixth game but they saved it to draw level to 3-all. At 4-3 for the French pair a double fault handed the Frenchmen another break point but the Italian team saved it. Fognini and Bolelli went up 40-15 as Herbert made two double faults and they broke serve on the second break point chance. The Italian pair sealed the first set with 6-4 on the first set point.
Bolelli and Fognini served better in the first set dropping seven of their first service points. The French pair failed to convert on four of their five break point chances in the opening set.
In the second set Herbert fended off two break points from 15-40 to hold serve in the third game for 2-1. The French pair brought up a double break point but Fognini and Bolelli saved them.
The Italians broke serve in the ninth game for 5-4 Fognini hit a forehand return at 5-4 when he was serving at 30-40 before Bolelli closed out on the first match point with a double 6-4.
“To do this with Fabio is unbelievable. We did something unbelievable. We are thinking about the ATP Finals”, said Bolelli.
“Everything is in our hands now. We are going to celebrate”, said Fognini.
