US Open 2019: Elise Mertens, Aryna Sabalenka down Victoria Azarenka, Ashleigh Barty to win women's doubles title

New York: Belgium’s Elise Mertens and Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka captured their first Grand Slam title on Sunday by winning the US Open women’s doubles final over Australia’s Ashleigh Barty and Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 7-5. [caption id=“attachment_7307641” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Elise Mertens (L) poses with doubles partner Aryna Sabalenka after winning the women’s doubles final against Victoria Azarenka and Ashleigh Barty in the US Open. AP[/caption] The fourth-seeded duo dropped only one set in the tournament in reaching their first Grand Slam final. “I can’t believe we won a Grand Slam,” Mertens said. “It’s all so new. Thanks to Aryna. I keep her going. She keeps me going.” Sabalenka’s overhead smash produced a break to win the first set and it was an Azarenka overhead smash beyond the baseline that ended matters after 97 minutes. “It’s like something unbelievable this year happened, especially in doubles,” Sabalenka said. “I’ve enjoyed every second on the court.” Mertens and Sabalenka won the only prior meeting between the duos on their way to capturing the Miami title. Barty, who takes over as World No 1 in singles on Monday, won last year’s US Open title with American CoCo Vandeweghe. The Aussie could have become the first woman with back-to-back US Open women’s doubles titles since France’s Nathalie Dechy in 2006 and 2007. “The level was high and we were right there,” Barty said. “But they were huge on the big points and that’s why they won the title.”