Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships: Sania Mirza bows out as Ostapenko and Kudermetova set for double time

The WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship singles finalists are set for double time on Saturday — quite literally.

Jelena Ostapenko will take on Veronika Kudermetova as both players chase their first ever Dubai title. Then in an extraordinary turn of events, both players will be back out on opposite sides of the net once again later on Saturday evening as they fight it out for the doubles crown.

Following her walkover victory over the injured Marketa Vondrousova, Kudermetova was in action with playing partner Elise Mertens, and they eased to a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Chinese pair Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan. That set up a final showdown with Ostapenko and Lyudmyla Kichenok, who overcame Lucie Kradecka and Indian star Sania Mirza in a thrilling clash late on Friday night, with the Latvian/Ukranian duo winning 2-6, 6-2, 10-7.

It what is Mirza’s last season on tour, she and Hradecka impressed with their run to the semis, defeating the likes of Japan’s Shuko Aoyama and Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia.

Sania and her Czech partner Hradecka received a wild card for the tournament, are the senior citizens on tour, with a combined age of 71.