Recap of the Doha Final
Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic were used to being the first to speak at trophy ceremonies, but that changed on Saturday in Doha. The No. 4 seeds made an impressive comeback from a 6-0, 5-2 deficit, even saving a championship point in the process, to defeat No. 3 seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko. The match concluded with a score of 0-6, 7-6 (3), [10-8] after 1 hour and 34 minutes of play.
Championship Victory
By winning the Qatar TotalEnergies Open, the Australian Open finalists claimed their first WTA 1000 title together and celebrated their second title as partners.
Reflections on the Match
Krunic described the match as “very weird,” filled with ups and downs from all players involved. “It was tough to play today, so I’m just glad we managed to seize our opportunities,” she commented during the trophy presentation. She expressed relief at not having the first speech again, mentioning how she was tired of being the one to speak first.
Match Progression
Entering the final with a 1-5 championship record, they appeared set to drop to 1-6 after a disappointing first set where they lost 6-0 within 23 minutes. Despite breaking first in the second set to lead 2-1, they quickly fell behind 5-2. However, against the odds, they turned the match around, managing to break back and level the set at 5-all, eventually forcing a tiebreak.
Path to Title
This comeback added to a week that saw them face multiple challenges, including tiebreaks in both the second round and quarterfinals. They played their strongest match in the semifinals against the No. 5 seeds, winning in straight sets, setting the stage for their dramatic final.
A Milestone Achievement
Krunic remarked that breaking their finals curse felt significant, noting their runner-up finishes in several tournaments recently. “It means a lot to finally say we’ve won a title,” she stated, expressing relief at overcoming their previous struggles in championship matches.
Ranking Updates
With this win, both players are expected to reach new career-highs in the upcoming PIF WTA Doubles Rankings. Krunic is on track to rise to World No. 11, while Danilina is set to climb to No. 7. Meanwhile, Hsieh and Ostapenko are also projected to re-enter the Top 10, with rankings of No. 8 and No. 9, respectively.
