Dubai: Alla Kudryavtseva and Anastasia Rodionova are ready to create a bit of history after they entered the women’s doubles final at the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open here on Friday.
Kudryavtseva could become only the second Russian after Svetlana Kuznetsova to win the doubles title here, while Rodionova would be the first-ever Austrian to take the crown.
They paired up to beat Czech duo Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Safarova 6-4, 6-4 in an hour and 13 minutes on Friday and will meet the winners of the second semi-final to be played later in the day.
Kudryavtseva and Rodionova were the better pair and showed that as they registered their first break in the seventh game to go 4-3 ahead, and they never looked back as they took the first set in 37 minutes.
Though they got an early break in the second for a 3-1 cushion, they seemed to lose their focus as Safarova and Hlavackova broke back and held for 3-3. But they came back strongly as they registered a second break in the ninth game and then Kudryavtseva served out set and match.
“I think the key was to stay aggressive on the serves and returns so that they would be under pressure and it worked for us today,” Rodionova said.
“We are good friends and we communicate a lot and that really helps us on court.”
Going into Saturday’s final, Kudryavtseva admitted they had no special plan. “We will try to sleep early,” the Russian said. “And I doubt we will change anything in our game or approach. Why should we change anything when it is working for us? ”
