Cincinnati Masters: Kichenok, Ostapenko capture women’s doubles title Lyudmyla Kichenok and Jelena Ostapenko continued a powerful season by winning their biggest team title so far at the Western and Southern Open on Saturday.Kichenok and Ostapenko defeated Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Ellen Perez 7-6(5), 6-3 in one hour and 24 minutes to capture the WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati.Follow Western & Southern Open LIVE updates on InsideSport.IN
After finally getting on the court after multiple rain delays, it was the Melichar-Martinez and Perez duo who originally held the upper hand, breaking Ostapenko in the first game of the match and building a 4-2 lead. Kichenok and Ostapenko, though, got back on serve at 4-4.
In the tiebreak, a powerful Ostapenko return gave her team a duo of set points, and Kichenok and Ostapenko transformed the second of the two to eke out the one-set lead.There were no break points through 3-3 in the second set, but after that, Kichenok and Ostapenko cruised to the title, winning the final four games of the match.
Cincinnati Masters: Lyudmyla Kichenok, Jelena Ostapenko capture women’s doubles title
“It’s my biggest title and I’m very happy,” Kichenok said after the match.”It’s hard to describe, it’s amazing. I just can’t find the words. I’m still a bit shaky after the match, it’s very exciting,” she added.”It doesn’t matter what the score is, [the key was] to be aggressive and to put pressure on them,” WTA.com quoted Ostapenko.
“That was a thing they didn’t like, and it helped us in the important moments,” she added.
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