Errani and Vavassori win US Open mixed doubles title

Italians Sara Errani (37) and Andrea Vavassori (29) secured a 7-6, 7-5 triumph on Thursday, capturing the mixed doubles title at the US Open and concluding the remarkable journey of the unseeded American duo, Taylor Townsend (28) and Donald Young (35).

This victory marked the first Grand Slam mixed doubles title for Errani, a five-time women's doubles Grand Slam champion, and Vavassori, achieved in just their third major tournament together, following their appearances at Wimbledon and the Paris Olympics.

"This is incredibly special; it feels like a dream come true to achieve this with Sara," Vavassori expressed.

"She is an extraordinary individual and athlete, and I have always admired her throughout her career. Competing alongside her at Wimbledon, the Olympics, and now here has been a wonderful experience."

The Italian pair struck first, taking a 6-5 advantage when Townsend sent a backhand long, but the Americans quickly broke back to push the match into a tiebreaker.

The third-seeded Italian team dominated the tiebreaker, which seemed to bolster their confidence as they broke early in the second set to establish a 3-1 lead.

Despite Townsend and Young displaying commendable resilience by breaking back to level at 4-4, their resistance was short-lived, mirroring the first set, as the Italians broke once more in the final game to secure their victory.

This defeat signified the conclusion of a long-standing partnership for Townsend and Young, who have been friends since childhood and reached the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows in 2014. Young, now 35, is poised to retire from tennis and transition to pickleball.

"We fell just short, but this is a dream realized for me," Young remarked.

"Taylor is like a younger sister to me; we have grown up playing Monopoly, teasing each other, and enjoying ourselves. Competing alongside her in the US Open final is truly special.

"Congratulations to Sara and Andrea; it was an incredible performance."

For Townsend, the disappointment continued at the US Open, as she also reached the semi-finals in women's doubles with Katerina Siniakova, where they were defeated by Zhang Shuai and Kristina Mladenovic.

Townsend and her Czech partner won the women's doubles title at Wimbledon this year.