Claire Liu of U.S. wins junior title at Wimbledon

LONDON » For the first time in 25 years, the female junior champion at Wimbledon is from the United States.

Claire Liu beat another American, Ann Li, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 Saturday in the final at the All England Club. In 1992, Chanda Rubin won the female junior crown.

Liu is from Thousand Oaks, California, and Li is from Devon, Pennsylvania, and both are 17. They were two of five Americans in the quarterfinals.

“All the Americans are doing really well,” said Liu, who lost in the French Open final last month to yet another countrywoman. “It’s really good to have a good group of juniors pushing each other.”

The final was the first at Wimbledon between two American juniors since 1979 when Mary Lou Piatek beat Alycia Moulton.

In the other junior final Sunday, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain will face Axel Geller of Argentina.

Liu, who was seeded third at Wimbledon, lost to 15-year-old Whitney Osuigwe at Roland Garros.

“Being able to play both the French Open and Wimbledon finals is definitely an accomplishment I think already, win or lose,” Liu said. “I think being able to get this match is really, really sweet.”

Americans have now won the titles at the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year for the first time since 1981.

The next Grand Slam tournament this year is the U.S. Open, the one Liu would like to win most. But one problem: She’s in the main draw.

“I’m just going to try to get better every day and hopefully the results will come,” Liu said. “Hopefully, I can be doing that.”

For now, though, Liu has one more thing she’d like to do in London.

“I haven’t had Indian food yet. I love the Indian food here,” Liu said. “I’m definitely going to go to Indian tonight.”

Kubot-Melo, Makarova-Vesnina win doubles titles at Wimbledon

LONDON » First there was one of the longest doubles finals in Wimbledon history. And then there was one of the shortest.

The men’s final was the first match on Centre Court following the women’s singles championship Saturday. Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo beat Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 13-11 in a match that lasted 4 hours, 40 minutes — only 21 minutes shorter than the longest men’s doubles final in history.

That was followed by the women’s doubles final, which Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina won 6-0, 6-0 over Chan Hao-ching and Monica Niculescu.

The last 20 minutes of the men’s final was played under a closed roof because of darkness. The entire women’s match was played indoors on the Centre Court grass.

The roof was closed for the women’s final earlier in the day because of rain, but it was open at the start of the men’s doubles match. But at 8:40 p.m., the roof was closed again because of darkness.

“When we stopped, we know we have to be strong at this moment,” Melo said. “I played the final here before. I know I have to manage this if you want to succeed and be a Grand Slam champion.”

With the win, Melo will return to the No. 1 ranking in men’s doubles.

For both Melo and Kubot, it is their second Grand Slam title. Melo won the 2015 French Open with Ivan Dodig. Kubot won the 2014 Australian Open with Robert Lindstedt.

The longest men’s doubles final in Wimbledon history was in 1992, when John McEnroe and Michael Stich beat Jim Grabb and Richey Reneberg 5-7, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-6 (5), 19-17. That match lasted 5:01 and was also the final with the most games played at 83.