Gabriela Dabrowski from Canada and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe began their title defense at the WTA Finals in Riyadh with a solid victory over the Russian duo of Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider. The defending champions secured their first win of the tournament with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-6(2), despite historically struggling against this team, having lost both previous encounters earlier in the season.
The match marked the start of the Liezel Huber Group and lasted 1 hour and 23 minutes, extending Dabrowski and Routliffe’s perfect record in Riyadh to 6-0. The third-seeded pair displayed resilience, fighting back after losing an early break in the second set as Andreeva and Shnaider, the fifth seeds, showcased their talents in their first WTA Finals appearance.
Facing a 3-5 deficit in the second set, the defending champions found their rhythm, rallying to win three consecutive games and dominating the match tiebreak. Routliffe praised their ability to be aggressive at crucial moments, highlighting the challenge presented by their opponents’ defensive skills and exceptional lobbing.
“These players are a really tough match-up for us; their lobs and defense make it feel like the points never end. But we executed well when it mattered most,” Routliffe commented after the match, reflecting on their performance.
The initial set proceeded without any deuce points on serve, but the second set featured multiple crucial moments, with Dabrowski and Routliffe winning three out of the four games that reached deuce. Dabrowski expressed satisfaction with their energy and composure during tense moments, acknowledging the difficulty presented by the scoring format.
In the later match of the day, Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova and American Taylor Townsend, the second seeds, also had a challenging opener against the pairing of Hungary’s Timea Babos and Brazilian Luisa Stefani. They took the first set comfortably at 6-2 but faced a dramatic turnaround as Babos and Stefani won five straight games to push the match into a deciding tiebreak.
However, Siniakova and Townsend managed to regain their focus just in time, ultimately sealing the match and finishing with a score of 6-2, 6-7(6), [10-6]. Townsend remarked on the unpredictability of tennis, especially under the no-ad scoring and tiebreak conditions, expressing pride in their poise under pressure.
This tournament is significant for Siniakova, who is aiming for her second Martina Navratilova trophy, while Townsend seeks her first. Their victory improved their season record to 29-5, and they are eager to advance further in the tournament after narrowly missing the title to Dabrowski and Routliffe the previous year.
As the final tournament of the year unfolds, both pairs are determined to enjoy their time on the court while striving for excellence against formidable opponents.
