Krejcikova & Siniakova squeeze past Mertens & Schuurs into Miami final

MIAMI, FL, USA - For the second time this year, No.6 seeds Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova pipped Elise Mertens and Demi Schuurs at the post, eking out a narrow match tiebreak in the first Miami Open doubles semifinal to down their unseeded opponents 4-6, 6-3, [11-9].

Six weeks ago in Doha, the Czech duo had saved a match point to defeat Mertens and Schuurs 6-1, 4-6, [15-13], and it was just as hard to separate the pairs for the bulk of today's encounter. Ultimately, though, it was Krejcikova and Siniakova who would battle their way into their second final - and first at Premier Mandatory level - together. It will be Siniakova's second time in a Premier Mandatory final, having been Indian Wells runner-up last year alongside Lucie Hradecka, losing to Latisha Chan and Martina Hingis.

With both teams experienced together - both pairings date back to the players' junior days - and capable from baseline and forecourt, all-court tennis was the order of the day throughout. In the first set, it was the Belgian-Dutch pair who were more successful in swarming the net. Though the Czechs staved off deciding points in their first two service games, both with some spectacular Siniakova shotmaking, it was the swashbuckling Schuurs who came up with the goods as the set progressed.

The 24-year-old chased down a dropshot to take a deciding point in her first service game, won a delightful touch exchange at net with Siniakova in the next game, and won her team the first break of serve with a nifty cross in the seventh game.

With the solid Mertens serving out the set with little drama, the Hobart champions carried their form over into the second set, Schuurs hammering a forehand return to set Mertens up with a smash and break Siniakova off the bat.

But down 0-2, the three-time junior Grand Slam champions buckled down. Siniakova cleaned up the errors that had contributed to the second set deficit, while Krejcikova focused on hammering down unreturnable serves. As the set progressed, it was Siniakova who increasingly came into her own with a number of brilliantly creative plays.

The 21-year-old recaptured the Schuurs serve in the fourth game with a smart interception and magnificent drop volley - and again to go up 5-3 with a brave net rush and volley putaway. This time, it would be Krejcikova who sealed the set efficiently.

The drama would soar in a deciding match tiebreak during which Krejcikova and Siniakova's lead would be repeatedly pegged back by a valiant Schuurs and Mertens.

At 3-3, Siniakova would require medical treatment for a grazed knee - but the delay in play seemed to have the effect of raising both teams' levels. Schuurs would strike a pair of forehand hammer blows to keep within touching distance of the Shenzhen finalists, while Mertens would win the best point of the match - featuring overheads, extreme angles that sent the players several metres out of court and finally a backhand winner to end it.

However, Siniakova's touch and Krejcikova's serve were now a bedrock that never looked like wobbling, despite their opponents' valiant efforts - and when a Mertens volley found the net, it was the Czechs celebrating their biggest final as a pair to date. In Sunday's title match, they will face either No.1 seeds Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina or Ashleigh Barty and CoCo Vandeweghe.