MELBOURNE, Australia — Taylor Townsend of the US returned to the courtroom the place her profession first took flight, teaming with Katerina Siniakova to beat Su-Wei Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-3 within the girls’s doubles ultimate Sunday on the Australian Open.
“That is tremendous particular to me,” Townsend mentioned. “The final time I performed on this courtroom I used to be 15, and in 2012 I received the juniors right here and that was the kick begin.
“Actually, being right here is so particular to me as a result of this event was the start of me having the ability to reside out my dream.”
High-seeded Townsend and Siniakova, of the Czech Republic, led 6-2, 5-3 and served for the match for the primary time at 5-4 within the second set. However third-seeded Hsieh and Ostapenko rallied to take the second set in a tiebreaker and to carry an early break within the third.
Taylor and Siniakova had been capable of fall again on their teamwork on essential factors. This was their third Grand Slam collectively: They received Wimbledon final 12 months and reached the semifinals of the US Open.
They had been additionally capable of exploit a touch of weak point on Hsieh’s serve with Ostapenko on the web, breaking her 4 occasions within the match, together with within the ninth sport of the ultimate set. Siniakova then served out the match, with Townsend offering the final touch on the web.
Siniakova and Townsend raced to a 5-1 lead inside half-hour, and whereas Hsieh managed to carry at 5-2 in the most effective sport of the set, Siniakova held to like to shut out the primary set in 37 minutes.
Win or lose, Siniakova was going to increase her keep atop the WTA doubles rankings to 136 weeks, the fifth-best run of all time. She has reached the semifinals or higher on the previous 5 Grand Slams.
The second set, a lot the identical as the primary, started with Ostapenko and Townsend holding serve, then Hsieh was damaged at 2-1.
Ostakpenko held at 2-3, and there was noticeable elevate in depth from the third seeds, a recognition of the significance of the second, they usually managed to interrupt Townsend to stage at 3-3.
However one other Hsieh service break gave Townsend the chance to serve for the match at 5-4. However once more, Ostapenko and Hsieh rallied to stage at 5. Hsieh then managed a vital maintain with Ostapenko sometimes beginning in the back of the courtroom reasonably than on the web.
Siniakova’s maintain despatched the set right into a tiebreak by which Ostapenko and Hseih picked up two factors off Townsend at 5-4 and 6-4 to stage the match.
The complexion of the sport had modified, and the third seeds had been capable of break Siniakova for the primary time within the opening sport of the third set, although Siniakova and Townsend instantly broke Ostapenko to stage at 1.
Hsieh was damaged once more within the ninth sport, and this time Siniakova did not miss.