Top seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova defeated unseeded Anna Danilina and Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-4 to win the Australian Open women’s doubles final at Melbourne Park on Sunday.

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This is the fourth women’s doubles crown for Krejcikova and Siniakova. 

Last year, Siniakova, ranked world No.1, and Krejcikova, No.2 in the doubles rankings, lost to Elise Mertens and Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s doubles final at Melbourne Park. With the Australian Open women’s doubles crown, the Czech pair also took a step closer to a career slam in doubles after winning the French Open in 2018 and 2021 and Wimbledon in 2018. They are now a US Open title away from the career Grand Slam.

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The Olympic champions reached the final with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Veronika Kudermetova of Russia and Belgium’s Mertens.

On Sunday, the Czechs prevailed over the Kazakhstani-Brazilian pair in a 2-hour and 42-minute affair. 

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The narrow loss, meanwhile, ended the exceptional run for Danilina and Haddad Maia, who paired up for the first time two weeks ago and promptly won the Sydney title before making their first Grand Slam final in Melbourne. The tandem won the first nine matches of their partnership.

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Haddad Maia was the third Brazilian woman to reach a Grand Slam final. Maria Bueno won a total of 19 Grand Slam titles between 1959 and 1968 (7 singles, 11 women’s doubles and one mixed doubles), and Claudia Monteiro reached the mixed doubles final at 1982 Roland Garros.

How did Krejcikova and Siniakova win the crown?

An hour-long first set came down to a tiebreak, where Danilina and Haddad Maia stunned the top seeds by zooming out to a 6-0 lead. The Czechs saved the first three set points but could not blunt the unseeded pair’s power on the fourth, where Haddad Maia fired a second-serve ace.

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However, the Brazilian double-faulted on a breakpoint in the first game of the second set to cede a quick break to the Czechs. The No.1 pair had to stave off a breakpoint during a tough Krejcikova hold for 4-2, but their stellar volleying carried them through the rest of the set as they levelled the match.

The Czechs continued to triumph in complex all-court rallies as they surged to a 5-2, double-break lead in the decider. Bolstered by some incredible last-minute reflex volleys by Danilina, she and Haddad Maia clawed one break back, but Krejcikova held onto her serve at 5-4 to seal the victory.

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Krejcikova and Siniakova were out-numbered 22 to 19 but converted five of their seven break points to close out the match and grab another Grand Slam crown.