Mertens and Zhang win Australian Open women’s doubles crown

Fourth seeds Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai won the Australian Open women’s doubles title on Saturday with a 7-6(4) 6-4 victory over Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic, claiming their first Grand Slam trophy as a duo.

The victory handed Mertens her sixth Grand Slam title while Zhang won her third but the triumph almost never happened, with the Belgian-Chinese pair forced to save three match points in the second round against teenagers Iva Jovic and Victoria Mboko.

“It’s been quite a week so far,” said Mertens...