Japanese doubles team formed by Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara beat Hayley Carter and Luisa Stefani 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to clinch their fourth title at the 2021 Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open.
The Japanese team had to save four match points to beat Andrea Klepac and Abu Dhabi’s singles semifinalist Marta Kostyuk 4-6 7-5 12-10 in the opening round and beat Hsieh Su-Wei and Barbora Krejcikova in the quarter final.
Aoyama and Shibahara earned an immediate break on the deciding point to open up a 2-0 lead. Carter and Stefani fought back by winning four games with two breaks. Carter and Stefani earned a break point as Ayoama made a double fault. The Brazilian and US team converted their break point two points later.
Ayoama and Shibahara broke serve in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Both teams held their next service games to force the first set to the tie-break. Both teams stayed neck and neck en route to 5-5.
The Japanese team earned a set point with a overhead smash earning a chance to serve for the set. Shibahara hit a cross-court backhand volley on the open court to seal the tie-break 7-5.
Carter and Stefani went up an early break to take a 2-0 lead in the second set. Ayoama and Shibahara broke back at 1-2 and earned their break to take a 4-3 lead and held held on their next serve to wrap up the second set 6-4. Aoyanma and Shibahara have claimed three WTA titles in Tianjin 2019, Moscow 2019 and St. Petersburg 2020.
