Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova (click to enlarge)
As all my rooting favorites fell in singles at the 2016 WTA Finals and my attention turned to my two favorite doubles pairs, Team Bucie and the Chan sisters, I overlooked another duo for whom I root, Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova. With their 3-6 6-2 [10-6] victory over Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza, Kate and Elena will advance to the championship match against Team Bucie, who knocked out top seeded doubles team Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic, 6-3 7-5. In a match between the reigning US Open champions, Team Bucie, and the reigning Olympic Gold Medalists, Vesnina and Makarova, I’m Team Bucie all the way. However, I will still be happy should Kate and Elena take the title.
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3 BETHANIE MATTEK-SANDS/LUCIE SAFAROVA d. 1 Caroline Garcia/Kristina Mladenovic, 6-3 7-5
7 DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA d. 8 Svetlana Kuznetsova, 1-6 7-6 (2) 6-4
1 ANGELIQUE KERBER d. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-2 6-1
4 EKATERINA MAKAROVA/ELENA VESNINA d. 2 Martina Hingis/Sania Mirza, 3-6 6-2 [10-6]
Fairways and Forehands 