New Zealand's Erin Routliffe and Canadian Gaby Dabrowski have won their opening match at the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The defeated Chan Hao-Ching (Chinese Taipei) and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova 7-6(6) 6-4 with a typical display featuring several ups and downs.
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In the opening game of the match Dabrowski had her serve broken and it wasn’t until the eighth game, on Chan’s serve, that they managed to get the break back, thanks to a Routliffe smash on a third break point.
The New Zealand and Canadian team had a couple of set points on Chan’s serve a short time later, which they couldn’t convert.
In the tiebreak, Dabrowski saved a set point with a well placed smash, then at 6-7 on Chan’s serve she overhit a forehand, giving the first set to Routliffe and Dabrowski after 63 minutes.
On a deciding point deuce at 3-3 on Chan’s serve in the second set, Dabrowski hit a driving volley to put her and Routliffe in a commanding position.
Dabrowski went on to serve for the match at 5-4 and after losing the first point, the next three went in her favour before an angled a volley at the net that Kudermetova couldn’t get back.
It was a good win for the second seeds considering their opponents beat them in the quarterfinals at the US Open in September.
Routliffe and Dabrowski face Italians Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani next and also Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk as there other matches in the group