Kubot, Melo win marathon 5-setter to take Wimbledon doubles title

LONDON - Playing under a closed roof for the final 20 minutes because of darkness, Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo won the men's doubles title at Wimbledon on Saturday by beating Oliver Marach and Mate Pavic 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (2), 3-6, 13-11.

The match lasted 4 hours, 40 minutes, only 21 minutes shorter than the longest men's doubles final in history.

The roof over Centre Court, which was closed for the women's final earlier in the day, was open at the start of the men's doubles match. But at 8:40 p.m., the roof was closed again because of darkness.

With the win, Melo will return to the No. 1 ranking in men's doubles.

For both players, it is their second Grand Slam title. Melo won the 2015 French Open with Ivan Dodig. Kubot won the 2014 Australian Open with Robert Lindstedt.

The longest men's doubles final in Wimbledon history was in 1992, when John McEnroe and Michael Stich beat Jim Grabb and Richey Reneberg 5-7, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 7-6 (5), 19-17. That match lasted 5:01 and was also the final with the most games played at 83.