Mektić and Krajicek miss out on Washington title after final defeat

Croatian tennis player Nikola Mektić and his American partner Austin Krajicek fell short in the ATP Washington doubles final, losing to the British duo Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool. The final score was 6-3, 6-4, with the British pair clinching the title after a hard-fought match.

Cash and Glasspool secured a crucial break in each set to gain the advantage. In the first set, they broke the Croatian-American pair's serve in the sixth game. The second set saw an early break by the British team. Mektić and Krajicek had opportunities to break back in both sets, notably missing three consecutive break points in the first set after losing their serve. They also managed to save three match points in the final game of the second set, but ultimately, Cash and Glasspool capitalized on their fourth match point to secure the victory.

The match experienced a significant delay of over two and a half hours due to rain when Cash and Glasspool were leading 3-1 in the second set. This loss marks Mektić and Krajicek's second final appearance as a pair, their first being the Delray Beach title. Mektić, a seasoned player at 37, has reached 53 ATP finals in his career, winning 33 titles.