Cori Gauff and Jessica Pegula have won back-to-back Doha doubles titles after beating second-seeded Lyudmyla Kichenok and Jelena Ostapenko in the final. Gauff and Pegula, who were the top-seeded duo, defeated Kichenok and Ostapenko 6-4 2-6 10-7.
12 months ago, Gauff and Pegula won their first title as a duo in Doha. This year, Gauff and Pegula returned to Doha and successfully defended their title. Now, Gauff and Pegula have four titles as a duo.
How Gauff, Pegula defeated Kichenok, Ostapenko
Gauff and Pegula broke Kichenok and Ostapenko in the first game, before saving three break points in the second game to open a 2-0 lead.
In the next six games, six consecutive breaks of serve were seen – three on each side – with Gauff and Pegula leading 5-3. In the ninth game, Gauff and Pegula had a break point – which at the same time was a set point – but Kichenok and Ostapenko saved it to cut the deficit to 5-4.
After losing their serve in three consecutive games, Gauff and Pegula managed to serve out the 10th game and seal the first set. Kichenok and Ostapenko bounced back at the start of the second set as they saved two break points in the first game, before breaking Gauff and Pegula in the second game for an early 2-0 lead.
Down by an early second-set break, Gauff and Pegula responded by winning the third and fourth games to tie the second set to two games apiece. However, blowing an early second-set break didn’t impact Kichenok and Ostapenko, who claimed back-to-back breaks in the sixth and eighth games to win four games in a row and send the match into a decider.
Midway through the match tie-break, Kichenok and Ostapenko won three consecutive points to open a 7-6 lead. From that moment, Gauff and Pegula won four points in a row to win the tie-break and seal a three-set win. After winning her first title doubles title of the year, Pegula will also have a chance to win her first singles title tomorrow. In the Doha singles final, Pegula plays Iga Swiatek.
