GB’s Cash & Glasspool make history with doubles title

Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool made history by becoming the first all-British pair to win the men’s doubles title at Wimbledon for 89 years.

The pair beat the unseeded partnership of Australian Rinky Hijikata and Dutchman David Pel 6-2 7-6 (7-3) to win a maiden Grand Slam title.

Cash, 28, and 31-year-old Glasspool had already become the first all-British pair to reach the final since Mike Davies and Bobby Wilson in 1960.

But this is the first time since Pat Hughes and Raymond Tuckey at Wimbledon in 1936 that two Britons have been crowned men’s doubles champions at a Grand Slam.

“When you say it it sounds incredible. I didn’t think too much about it,” Glasspool said after a thrilling match.

“We will never forget this day for all our lives.”

Cash added: “We had two goals this year – one was to make it to Turin [ATP Finals] and the other was to win a Slam.

“To do it here, it couldn’t mean more.”

There were muted celebrations to begin with when Cash sent down an irretrievable overhead smash to secure victory before the pair turned to their coaching box and raised their fists in the air.

Seven different British men have now won Grand Slam men’s doubles titles since 2012.

At Wimbledon, Cash and Glasspool’s triumph follows that of Neal Skupski winning the title alongside Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof two years ago before Henry Patten and Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara last year.

Last month, Cash and Glasspool became the first all-British partnership to win the men’s doubles title at Queen’s in the Open era.

They followed that up with victory at Eastbourne and have won 17 matches on grass this season, losing just one.

“We have played a crazy amount of tennis on the grass,” Cash said.

“There was a lot of pressure on our shoulders. The fact we could do what everyone said we could is surreal.”

They have been the men to beat in the doubles draw this year, securing wins against defending champions Patten and Heliovaara in the quarter-finals and French Open champions Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the last four.

On a packed Centre Court, Cash and Glasspool – superior in the net rallies and both displaying impressive serving – had the opening set wrapped up in just 27 minutes.

A break of serve in the fifth game of the second set before an emphatic love hold put them within two games of the title but Hijikata and Pel rallied, winning the next three games to put the match back on serve.