In June 2019, they were lying on their backs like ladybugs. – but what would you do this time? That October day in Paris?
They had match point. One. Forgive. The last game of this duel early on Saturday night was a fight. The opponents were strong. Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares, the Croatian and the Brazilian, had recently won the US Open. It went back and forth. Second match point. At 7:01 p.m. it was supposed to happen. The decision was made in the men’s doubles competition at the French Open.
Andreas Mies fell on his back again. All fours stretched out. And Kevin Krawietz? Dare to do something new. He crouched down and leaned forward. 6: 3, 7: 5, Cologne’s Mies, 30, and Coburg’s Krawietz, 28, actually won again. The duo can now call themselves two-time Grand Slam winners. Last year, with their triumph, they achieved the first German double success in a Grand Slam in 82 years. Now they have confirmed this coup, with a title defense that is also a certain surprise. You didn’t start the competition as one of the top seeded teams.
“We’re going to accelerate as best we can tonight”
At the award ceremony, Krawietz said he was flabbergasted: “What can I say?” In German he spoke to the couple of supporters in the stands where the parents were sitting and a handful of friends: “It’s great that you came!” And he promised: “Tonight we will accelerate as best we can.” At that moment he had not forgotten the pandemic. They also wore masks at the award ceremony. Mies later also thanked all his supporters, he said to his girlfriend Laura: “It’s good that you came.” Even without the early summer sun of Paris, these moments radiated warmth. Defended the title, earned € 319,652 together, it was a tournament that Krawietz and Mies will not forget. Now they have already completed two grand slams for the ages.
They were not favored in their second final by Roland Garros, but confident after their five good appearances before. The match started exactly as the two had hoped it would. When the score was 2: 1, they had the first two break chances, they used the second and took a service game from their opponents. In the meantime, there weren’t quite as many members of the Kramies clan sitting in the stands as last year, when almost 60 people had come specially for them. But so many that they were clearly recognizable when the television cameras were turned. And when all the family members and friends weren’t in the picture, you could hear them. Most impressive, of course, is Mother Krawietz. When Andreas Mies once managed a fabulous reflex on the net to win a point with an improvised double-handed grip, it rang “Jaaaaaaa!” by the Court Philippe-Chatrier. That was Ingrid Krawietz. Her husband Rudi, who was the only one with Krawietz and Mies in Paris from the start, must have been shocked too. But in a positive way.
The opponents find no weaknesses
Krawietz and Mies served the set confidently, so they kept their service games, 6: 3. And they kept their level in the second movement as well. The until then rather weakest of the four participants, Pavic, improved, and so an open game developed. At 1: 2, Soares had the first break chance on the return on the backhand side – Mies served well, blocked. “When we get our strengths onto the pitch, we are very difficult to play on and extremely difficult to beat,” he said after the semi-finals. Another break chance: Ass lousy! They were unshakable. And at least there was number five in Pavic (he was once number one) and Soares was number six in the double world rankings on the other side. But the Germans stayed at it, exerting pressure, again and again thanks to the soulful returns from Krawietz, which complemented Mies’ powerful game perfectly.
Just one sentence would be enough to win. Would Krawietz and Mies manage to continue to act consistently?
Yes. Also for a special reason: “As an opponent, I would find it difficult to pick out a weakness in our team,” Mies had previously analyzed about himself and Krawietz. And so it must have happened to Pavic and Soares. They found no weaknesses.
It stayed tight, 3: 3, 4: 4, 5: 5. Then came the eleventh game and Pavic / Soares led 40-0. You shouldn’t be playing any more games.
Krawietz and Mies fought their way to the start. They missed the first break chance, but the second was right: Krawietz hammered the return down the line. 6: 5. And then Mies served out to win. He hit an ace again, once again they fended off a break chance, had the first match point, another break ball against them, and then there was no doubt: at 7:01 p.m. Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies were champions again. Back in Paris. Again at the French Open. At 7:07 p.m. they lifted the trophy.
“It really was a dream come true to defend the title here on our second start,” said Krawietz later at the press conference. “I can hardly believe it when I say it.” But the trophy sparkled in front of them. Your title is real.
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