Gabriela Dabrowski is through to her first WTA 1000 final of 2025. The Canadian, alongside New Zealander Erin Routliffe, defeated No. 6 seeds Lyudmyla Kichenok and Ellen Perez 3-6, 6-3, 12-10 at the Cincinnati Open on Friday.

For Routliffe, she is back into the Cincinnati final after winning the title last year alongside Asia Muhammad. 

Dabrowski and Routliffe impressed on return despite not holding a break point till the second set. The duo converted on both of their break opportunities and won three points on return in the match tiebreak, battling back after being down two mini-breaks.

The beginning of the match was a serving clinic by both sides. Kichenok and Perez won 90 per cent of their first-serve points in their first three service games, while Dabrowski and Routliffe dropped just two points on serve over that same span.

At 3-4, the No. 2 seeds faced the first break points of the afternoon at 15-40. The Canadian served well under pressure to force a sudden-death deuce but were still broken.

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Serving for the set in the following game, Kichenok and Perez managed a love hold to take the opener 6-3.

To begin the second set, Dabrowski and Routliffe held a break point of their own at 1-0, 30-40, and were gifted the break thanks to a Kichenok double fault. After a hold by the Ottawan, the WTA Finals champions led 3-0.

At 4-1, 40-15, a couple of brilliant plays at the net from Dabrowski sent the game to deuce where the 33-year-old put away an overhead to have the chance to serve out the set. Kichenok and Perez managed to break then hold to cut the deficit to 3-5, but Dabrowski and Routliffe wrapped up the set in their next service game.

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In the match tiebreak, the No. 2 seeds rallied from a 3-7 deficit, saving a match point at 8-9, to eventually equalize at 9-9. At 10-10, a mini-break from Dabrowski and Routliffe set the duo up to serve for the match where a serve-and-volley from the Kiwi secured their place in Sunday’s Cincinnati final.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will await the winner of Guo Hanyu and Alexandra Panova versus No. 1 seeds Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani.

Feature Photo: Sarah-Jade Champagne