Australian Open: Siniakova and Townsend Claim Women's Doubles Championship
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Synopsis
In an exhilarating final, top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend overcame third seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko to win the women's doubles title at the Australian Open, concluding with a score of 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3.
Key Takeaways
- Siniakova achieves 10 Grand Slam titles in women's doubles.
- Townsend secures her second major title.
- The duo has a 15-1 record in Grand Slams together.
- Match lasted 2 hours and 27 minutes.
- Third Australian Open title for Siniakova.
Melbourne, Jan 26 (NationPress) The top-seeded duo of Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend triumphed over the third-seeded pair Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko with a score of 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3 in a thrilling final on Sunday, securing the women's doubles championship at the Australian Open.
This Czech-American duo proved their worth as the top seeds on Rod Laver Arena, though they faced a challenging comeback from Hsieh and Ostapenko in the second set before sealing the match after an intense 2 hours and 27 minutes.
World No. 1 in doubles Siniakova has now achieved a remarkable 10 Grand Slam titles in women's doubles, becoming the first player since Martina Hingis to reach this milestone, having last won her 10th title at the 2015 Wimbledon. Her Grand Slam victories include seven with Barbora Krejcikova, one with Coco Gauff, and two with Townsend, as noted by the WTA.
This victory marks Siniakova's third title at the Australian Open, having previously won in 2022 and 2023 alongside Krejcikova. Overall, she has amassed 29 titles on the WTA doubles circuit. In contrast, Townsend has celebrated eight WTA doubles titles in her career, including two Grand Slam victories, with seven coming after her return from maternity leave in 2022.
During their inaugural Grand Slam event together, Siniakova and Townsend clinched the title at last year's Wimbledon, marking Townsend's first major triumph as a professional. They continued their success with a semifinal appearance at the 2024 US Open before adding another prestigious title to their record on Sunday. As a team, they hold a strong 15-1 record in their three Grand Slam appearances.
In the final match, Siniakova and Townsend started strong, dominating the first set, but faced significant challenges in the second. Townsend had the opportunity to serve for the win at 6-3, 5-4, but Hsieh and Ostapenko managed to break back and force a tiebreak, with Hsieh's winner sealing the second set.
During the third set, Siniakova struggled with three double faults and was broken early, but quickly regained momentum by breaking back. The top seeds took control with a crucial break of Hsieh's serve at 5-3, and with Townsend's impressive volleying, Siniakova held serve, reaching triple championship points. Townsend completed the match with a decisive forecourt putaway, securing their second major title.
Former WTA Doubles World No. 1 Hsieh aimed to defend her title (having won the 2024 Australian Open with Elise Mertens), while Ostapenko sought her second consecutive Slam title (having triumphed at the 2024 US Open with Lyudmyla Kichenok).
