Roland Garros 2023: Taylor Townsend, Austin Krajicek reach doubles finals
Americans will play for titles in the Roland Garros women's and men's doubles events after Taylor Townsend and Austin Krajicek advanced to the respective finals in Paris.
Townsend, partnering with 2021 US Open singles finalist Leylah Fernandez, is through to her second Grand Slam title match following her runner-up finish at last year's US Open alongside countrywoman Caty McNally.
Krajicek and Dodig will play in the Roland Garros final for the second straight year, with the American seeking his first major crown. With victory, Krajicek would become the new doubles world No. 1.
No. 10 seeds Townsend and Fernandez upset second seeds Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, 6-0, 6-4, on Friday to advance to the final. With her run this fortnight, Townsend has clinched a new career-high WTA ranking of World No. 5. She will join No. 3 Pegula and No. 4 Gauff in the Top 5 on Monday, giving the U.S. three women in the Top 5 of the doubles rankings for the first time since August 2012.
After knocking off three seeded opponents in succession and dropping just one set in five matches overall, Townsend and Fernandez will face the unseeded pairing of Su-Wei Hsieh and Xinyu Wang in Sunday's final.
"I'm just honestly so proud of how we were able to play and perform," Fernandez said after the semifinal, a result that avenged a defeat to Gauff and Pegula in the Miami final.
Taylor Townsend at Roland Garros. Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images.
"I told Leylah after the match, this is what we have been building towards over the past couple of months. From where we started as a team and just figuring each other out to now, like, understanding each other so well and being able to play such great, consistent tennis against the No. 2 seeds.
"I'm so proud, but the work is not done. We've still got one more. This match—I'm sure for Leylah, as well—this match has made me even more hungry to hold the trophy."
Austin Krajicek and Ivan Dodig. Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images.
Fourth seeds Krajicek and Dodig beat 10th seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, 6-3, 7-6(3), on Thursday to return to the Roland Garros final. They will meet Belgians Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen in Saturday's title match.
The American-Croatian duo earned three of their five wins this fortnight in three sets, including a final-set tie-break victory in the opening round and a comeback from a set down in the third round.
A former NCAA doubles champion at Texas A&M, Krajicek is one win away from his 10th tour-level title, in addition to his first major trophy and a debut at world No. 1.
There has been more American success in the girls' doubles competition, where 16-year-old Clervie Ngounoue and 15-year-old Tyra Grant are also into the final.
Ngounoue, who is the No. 1-ranked junior in the world, and Grant, ranked No. 29 among juniors, will compete to become the eighth and ninth American girls to win the junior doubles title at the French Open. They'll play the top-seeded team of Alina Korneeva and Sarah Saito on Saturday.
For more from Roland Garros, visit the tournament's official website. The main draw runs from May 28 through June 11.
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