Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealander Erin Routliffe won their first WTA 1000 title as a team after beating Hanyu Guo and Alexandra Panova 6-4, 6-3 at the Cincinnati Open on Sunday.
The Ottawan was absent during Routliffe’s Cincinnati title run in 2024 due to breast cancer treatment but returned for this year’s edition to earn her first WTA 1000 triumph since the Madrid Open in 2022.
Dabrowski and Routliffe faced little pressure on serve, facing just two break points. The duo was broken once but broke back in the second set. The Canadian-Kiwi team managed an early break in each set, holding a total of seven break points on the evening.
Both sides began the match with a love hold in their opening service games but soon felt the pressure on serve. Guo and Panova were broken after facing a pair of break points in the third game. Then Dabrowski and Routliffe were nearly at the wrong end of a break themselves but survived sudden-death deuce to maintain their early advantage, leading 3-1.
The No. 2 seeds held the rest of the way, winning 70 per cent of their first-serve points and taking the opener 6-4 on their third set point.
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Much like the opening set, Dabrowski and Routliffe had an opportunity to break in the third game and converted once again. Both teams then traded breaks over the next two games as the 2023 U.S. Open champions still led 3-2.
At 4-3, 30-all, a pair of unreturned serves from Routliffe put her and Dabrowski one game away from hoisting the trophy.
And the duo only needed one more game to secure the title as Dabrowski and Routliffe shot out to a love-40 advantage, and it was the Canadian who capped off the match with a return winner.
"It has been super special to compete here alongside Erin [Routliffe]," Dabrowski said in her championship speech. "I know it has not been an easy ride, but this trophy means a lot to share it with [Routliffe]."
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Dabrowski will move back into the Top 10 of the WTA doubles rankings, moving up to eighth.
Feature Photo: @cincytennis
