Mertens and Kudermetova rally late against Krejcikova and Siniakova to claim doubles title at WTA Finals

Faced with a daunting deficit in the championship tiebreak, Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens steeled themselves and played with poise down the stretch, rallying from 7-2 down to produce a stunning 6-2, 4-6, 11-9 triumph over defending champions Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova to win the WTA Finals doubles title.

“We just won the WTA finals. I don’t even believe it – I was so nervous at the end,” Mertens told the crowd after the victory.

It was a massive victory, given that their opponents have dominated the tour in 2022, winning all three Grand Slams they participated in. Krejcikova and Siniakova, five-time Grand Slam doubles champions and the top seeds in Fort Worth, were bidding for their 14th team title.

“I’m so happy to hold this trophy,” Kudermetova said after the victory.

“We had an amazing week and we’re undefeated,” said an elated Mertens, who lost to Krejcikova and Siniakova in last year’s WTA Finals title match, while paired with Hsieh Su-Wei. “I can’t even believe it. You know, it’s been such a great week and we really enjoyed being here in Fort Worth.”

The victory represents a modicum of revenge for Mertens and Kudermetova, who fell to Krejcikova and Siniakova in their previous meeting in the semi-finals of this year’s Australian Open.

“You’re one of the greatest teams in the world. I mean, you can be proud of your year, just three grand slams oh my God, So congrats for that.”

Kudermetova will rise to No 2 in the doubles rankings as a result of the title; Mertens will jump to No 5.

Despite the defeat Siniakova will finish the season as the No 1 for the second year running, and for the third time in five years.

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