Gabriela Dabrowski of Ottawa and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand captured the Cincinnati Open women’s doubles title with a straight-sets victory over Guo Hanyu of China and Alexandra Panova of Russia on Sunday night at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
The second-seeded duo, who also won the US Open doubles title together in 2023 and have now accumulated six titles as a pair, defeated the unseeded Hanyu and Panova 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 20 minutes on Center Court.
Dabrowski and Routliffe dominated several key statistics, including aces (5-1 in their favor), winners (22-19), first-serve points won (71 percent to 63 percent), and return games won (33 percent to 11 percent). Hanyu and Panova were troubled by 17 unforced errors and a single double fault.
The champions advanced to the final after a dramatic semifinal win over the sixth-seeded Ellen Perez of Australia and Lyudmyla Kichenok of Ukraine, 3-6, 6-3, 12-10 in a deciding-set tiebreak. Hanyu and Panova reached the final by upsetting the top-seeded Italian pairing of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in Saturday’s semifinals, 6-3, 6-2.
In the trophy presentation, Dabrowski said she felt fortunate to compete this week and praised Routliffe for standing by her side. “Erin, thanks for sticking by my side. I know it’s not been an easy ride, but this trophy means a lot to share it with you. And thank you for being so supportive as a partner and as a friend,” she said.
Routliffe added that the victory capped a strong week and highlighted the duo’s growing chemistry on court. It’s a meaningful win for the pair, who previously teamed to win Cincinnati doubles last year with Asia Muhammad.
Routliffe has now claimed another Cincinnati title this year, while Dabrowski continues to establish herself as one of doubles’ most reliable late-season performers. The result reinforces the pair’s status as a dangerous and consistent force on hard courts as the season moves toward the US Open.
Additional context and analysis:
– The win reinforces Dabrowski and Routliffe’s reputation as one of the tour’s top doubles teams, particularly onreturn games and clutch points, given their semifinal resilience and strong serving behind the steady baseline play.
– Cincinnati serves as a critical tune-up event ahead of the U.S. Open, and this title should boost their confidence and seed position for the Grand Slam.
– The victory adds to Routliffe’s growing collection of tournament success at Cincinnati, underscoring her versatility and value as a doubles partner.
If you’d like, I can add a concise preview of Dabrowski and Routliffe’s upcoming schedule and potential matchups, or draft a brief social-media-friendly recap.