Llodra-Zimonjic Win First Title In Washington

© Getty ImagesLlodra-Zimonjic won their first title together on Sunday.

No. 3 seeds Michael Llodra and Nenad Zimonjic clinched their first team title on Sunday, defeating Robert Lindstedt and Horia Tecau 6-7(3), 7-6(6), 10-7 at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington D.C. Llodra and Zimonjic overcame four match points for the second match in a row to win the ATP World Tour 500 event.

Lindstedt and Tecau led 7-6(3), 4-2 before a Lindstedt double fault on a deciding point put the second set back on serve. Down 4-5, the French-Serbian pair saved a match point at deuce on Zimonjic’s serve, and the set would eventually be determined by another tie-break.

Similarly to the first set tie-break, Lindstedt and Tecau converted an early mini-break, and opened a 6-3 lead, holding three more match points. But for the second time in as many days, Llodra and Zimonjic overcame the deficit, winning five straight points to send the championship into a match tie-break.

From there, the third seeds took control of the encounter, building an 8-2 advantage. They closed out the victory in two hours and two minutes to cap off the comeback.

The win marks Llodra and Zimonjic’s first title together in their third attempt, after runner-up finishes at the Mutua Madrid Open (l. to Bryan-Bryan) and Rotterdam (l. to Melzer-Petzschner). Zimonjic notched his 40th title (40-27 record), while Llodra won his 19th doubles trophy (19-18).

Lindstedt and Tecau were bidding for their third title in their sixth final appearance this season, having triumphed in Casablanca (d. Fleming-Zelenay) and Bastad (d. Aspelin-Siljestrom). The Swede was looking to win his third title in four years at the tournament, and dropped to 12-12 in finals with the loss. Tecau fell to a 9-7 record in finals.