Kichenok wins doubles title after postponing wedding

Lyudmyla Kichenok triumphed in the US Open women’s doubles final alongside Jelena Ostapenko – just two days after postponing her wedding to continue competing in New York.

Ukraine’s Kichenok had been due to marry her partner, Stas Khmarsky, this week but it clashed with the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows.

They postponed the ceremony and she and Ostapenko subsequently stormed into Friday’s final, where they beat Kristina Mladenovic and Zhang Shuai 6-4 6-3.

“My boyfriend could be my husband actually – we were supposed to get married this Wednesday but it didn’t happen,” Kichenok said.

“We had an appointment to get married but I was playing the semi-finals.

“That was a little more important.”

Kichenok and Ostapenko – who has Khmarsky on her coaching team – did not drop a set on their way to a first major title together.