Danilina and Krunic stage stunning Doha comeback

In the humid Doha evening, Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic stared at another finals defeat. The No. 4 seeds trailed 6-0, 5-2 against Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko in the Qatar TotalEnergies Open final, their championship match record hanging at 1-5. What followed was a gritty reversal, as they saved a championship point and powered through to a 0-6, 7-6(3), [10-8] victory in 1 hour and 34 minutes, securing their first WTA 1000 title as a pair.

The opening set slipped away fast. Hsieh and Ostapenko broke for 2-0 and dominated with crosscourt volleys and heavy topspin, bageling the opponents in 23 minutes. Danilina and Krunic grabbed an early 2-1 lead in the second set with a break, but four straight games against them built a 5-2 hole, errors piling up under the pressure.

“It was a very weird match with a lot of ups and downs from all four of us,” Krunic said during the trophy presentation. “It was tough to play today, somehow. So I’m just happy we managed to stay there and grab our chances. We didn’t have many the first two sets, so we did what we could.

I’m happy we are not the first speech again, because I was kind of getting sick of being the first one to have a speech. it’s been many times.”

Clutch breaks flip the second set

Trailing 5-3, Danilina and Krunic faced a championship point on Ostapenko’s serve. Krunic’s net poach forced an error, and Danilina’s down-the-line return clinched the break, sparking their rally. They held to reach 5-all, then broke Hsieh to love with Krunic’s slice backhand disrupting the rhythm, taking a 6-5 lead on the medium-paced hard courts.

Hsieh and Ostapenko broke back to force a tiebreak, but the momentum shifted decisively. Danilina and Krunic won the last four points, mixing inside-out forehands and quick net reflexes to steal the set. This surge, born from deeper returns and aggressive positioning, turned the hard court’s speed into an ally, exposing gaps in the third seeds’ play.

Tiebreak runs define Doha drama

The match tiebreak became a battle of surges. Danilina and Krunic claimed five straight points for an 8-3 lead, Krunic’s one–two serve-overhead combo overpowering Ostapenko’s baseline power. Hsieh and Ostapenko narrowed it to 8-7 with angled returns and lobs, their experience forcing stretches across the court.

Composure won out on the second match point. Danilina’s crosscourt winner skimmed the line, ending the 1 hour and 34 minute thriller as the crowd roared. This resilience capped a week of three match tiebreaks, including 6-2, 4-6, [10-4] wins over Leylah Fernandez and Kristina Mladenovic in the second round, and the same score against Storm Hunter and Maya Joint in quarters.

The crowning moment! 🫶#QatarTotalEnergiesOpen pic.twitter.com/5qZvbaS1sF
— wta (@WTA) February 14, 2026

The semifinals brought relief, a straight-sets defeat of Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani with sharp 1–2 patterns and flawless returns. Their path mirrored the final’s tenacity, transforming Australian Open runner-up frustration into Doha dominance. As reigning runners-up there, they proved their partnership’s depth on hard courts that reward precision and grit.

Rankings rise after title breakthrough

Danilina now has 12 WTA doubles titles, including the 2023 US Open mixed doubles win and three Grand Slam women’s doubles finals—two with Krunic—plus two WTA 1000 crowns. For Krunic, this is her ninth doubles trophy and one singles, surpassing runner-up finishes at last year’s French Open, this year’s Australian Open, and Wuhan. Their second title together marks a career high, lifting the weight of five prior finals losses.

Monday’s PIF WTA Rankings will reflect the surge: Krunic to a career-high No. 11, nearing the Top 10, and Danilina to No. 7, up one spot. Hsieh climbs to No. 8 and Ostapenko to No. 9, both re-entering the Top 10 after the final run. This Doha victory, forged in tiebreak fire, positions the duo as hard-court contenders, ready for the season’s demands where mental edges often seal doubles success.