CHAMPIONS TOURNAMENT – Kateřina Siniaková (28) and American Taylor Townsendová (28) won the second match at the Champions Tournament. With last year’s finalists Nicole Melicharova-Martinezova (31) and Ellen Perezova (29), the Wimbledon champions managed smoothly in two sets 6:2, 6:2, and the result of the evening match could have given them the certainty of the first place in the group. But they didn’t get to see that, and the semi-finalists will be decided on Wednesday.
Melicharová-Martinezová/Perezová – Siniaková/Townsendová 2:6, 2:6
Although Kateřina Siniaková and Taylor Townsendová have played only five tournaments together, mainly thanks to the triumph at Wimbledon and the semi-finals at the US Open, they are now competing in the Tournament of Champions and after two performances there, they have a foothold in advancing from the group.
After a three-set win over the number one seeds and US Open winners Jelena Ostapenko and Ljudmila Kičenoková, who escaped from the match point, they also managed last year’s finalists Nicole Melicharová-Martinezová and Ellen Perezová. They defeated the American-Australian tandem 6:2, 6:2, and with a 2:0 match and 4:1 set score, they were at the head of the Green group.
While Siniaková and Townsendová had to rotate the opening match, this time they had the development under control from the beginning. They decided the first set after winning four games in a row from a 2:2 score. In the second set, the Czech-American duo quickly took a 5:1 lead and ended the duel with a clean game on their own serve.
“We wanted to be aggressive today and I think we did a good job,” Siniaková praised herself in an interview on the court. “The day off helped us. We were a little nervous in the first match, but today we already played a very good match. We haven’t played much together yet, but our games fit each other and the communication on the court is great.” added Townsend to her Czech teammate.
After the second victory, Siniaková and Townsendová were within reach of advancement and a few hours later they could have secured the 1st place in the group, but Su-Wei Hsieh and Mertensová’s evening win over the Kičenová and Ostapenko duo did not play into their favor.
On Wednesday, the Czech-American couple needs to win a set for Kičenokova and Ostapenko against Melicharova and Perez, otherwise Siniakova and Townsend will probably need to win at least a set against Su-Wei Hsieh/Mertensova in the replay of the Wimbledon semifinals.
Siniaková starts at the Tournament of Champions for the sixth time in a row and for the first time without compatriot Barbora Krejčíková. In 2021, the Czech tandem triumphed, and in 2018 and 2022 they only lost in the final. Last year, shortly before the end of the collaboration, he dropped out of the group.
The best doubles player of the moment, Siniaková won six doubles trophies this year, including two Grand Slams and Olympic gold in mixed and each with a different partner. Six days before the start of the Tournament of Champions, she roused herself with a triumph in Guangzhou, where she won alongside the Chinese Shuai Zhang.
Kičenokova/Ostapenkova – Su-Wei Hsieh/Mertensova 1:6, 3:6
Taiwan’s Su-Wei Hsieh and Belgium’s 2022 champion Elise Mertens rallied after opening losses. They swept Ljudmila Kičenokova and Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko 6:1, 6:3, after the final of the Australian Open and the quarterfinals in Madrid, they also won their third duel and confused the situation in the group. They have the progress in their hands, any win is enough for them in the last performance, but theoretically they can also lose 0:2 in sets.
NOT BACKING DOWN! ♀️
The team of @elise_mertens and Su-wei Hsieh defeat Ostapenko/Kichenok in straight sets 6-1, 6-3!#WTAFinalsRiyadh pic.twitter.com/YwOmnwBzQR
— wta (@WTA) November 4, 2024
Results of the Tournament of Champions in doubles
Tables Tournament of champions in doubles
Article originally published for Livesport News.
