LONDON: Top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic became the first all-Croatian doubles team to win a Grand Slam men's doubles title on Saturday, defeating Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-4, 7-6(5), 2-6, 7-5. at Wimbledon.

On their second championship point, Mektic and Pavic made three unsuccessful attempts to smash the ball away for a winner before the Spanish-Argentine duo's running forehand long gave the Croatians the victory on a floodlit Centre Court.

Twenty years after Goran Ivanisevic hoisted the Challenge Cup at the All England Club after winning the men's title in a rain-delayed Monday final, his compatriots won the grasscourt major.

"That ball falling long in the last point was the best feeling of my life," Mektic, who was competing in his first major final against Pavic, laughed.

"Our last three matches were the best of my life."

"This is something special," an emotional Pavic said, his voice quivering.

"We all grew up with Goran; it's been 20 years since he won that Monday final, and this is the first time Croatia has won a trophy here." Even though it's doubles, it's still Wimbledon. I am super happy."

Pavic won his third men's doubles title, having previously won with different partners at the 2018 Australian Open and the 2020 U.S. Open.