Cori Gauff and Jessica Pegula defeated Leylah Fernandez and Taylor Townsend in the Miami Open doubles final, winning 7-6 (6) 6-2. Gauff and Pegula, the No. 2 seeded combination, won their second doubles championship of the year while being cheered on by the home crowd. Their triumph in Doha in February was followed by this one. In contrast, Fernandez and Townsend came close to winning their second competition as a team.
Up until the fifth game, when Gauff and Pegula averted a break point and went on to take a 3-2 lead in the first set, the match was tightly matched. In the sixth game, they had a chance to score their first break point, but they failed to do so, tying the set at three games apiece for Fernandez and Townsend. To take the lead at 6-5 and serve for the set in the 12th game, Fernandez and Townsend broke Gauff and Pegula’s service in the 11th game. They wasted a chance to score a set point, and Gauff and Pegula fought back to force a tie-break.
Gauff and Pegula gained a 6-5 advantage and their first set point in the tie-break. Despite missing their first chance, they won the first set by converting their second set point. Fernandez and Townsend’s game faltered after losing the thrilling opening set, which Gauff and Pegula took advantage of. Gauff and Pegula led 5-1 after winning the following five games, despite Fernandez and Townsend winning the opening game of the second set. Nevertheless, in the eighth game, they capitalized on their first match point opportunity to win the match.
Gauff and Pegula, who played a superb match and displayed their talent and tenacity on the court, triumphed admirably overall. The triumph underlines their potential for success in the future and is a crucial turning point in their early careers.