Guo Hanyu and Kristina Mladenovic saved two match points to beat Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai 6-7 (4), 6-3, 12-10 in the final round of doubles group play at the WTA Finals in Indian Wells on Friday, November 13. The third seeds finished second in Group 1 with a 2-1 record.
The last two matches settled qualification
Earlier, Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani recovered from a set and a break down to defeat Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko 2-6, 7-6 (2), 10-3. The top seeds completed a perfect three-match group campaign.
That left Hsieh and Ostapenko needing Guo and Mladenovic to lose the evening’s final match. Mertens and Zhang had already been eliminated from semifinal contention but were still seeking their first win of the tournament.
Guo and Mladenovic lost the opening-set tiebreak before drawing level with a 6-3 second set. They then survived two match points in the deciding match tiebreak, played to at least 10 points with a two-point margin, and closed it out 12-10 to secure the remaining place.
A second escape sets up the semifinal
Both of Guo and Mladenovic’s victories involved match-point escapes. They saved four against Hsieh and Ostapenko in their opening match and another two against Mertens and Zhang. Their 2-1 record put them behind the unbeaten Dabrowski and Stefani in Group 1.
They will face Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini, who led Group 2 at 3-0. The Italians have progressed beyond the group stage for the first time in their third consecutive appearance together. Guo and Mladenovic won the teams’ only meeting this season in a match tiebreak in the Indian Wells quarterfinals.
Dabrowski and Stefani will meet Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend in the other semifinal. Siniakova and Townsend finished second in Group 2 at 2-1 and won both meetings with the top seeds this season, in Miami and at Roland Garros.
Guo is making her WTA Finals debut, while Mladenovic is appearing for a fifth time after winning the 2018 and 2019 titles with Timea Babos. Guo and Mladenovic won Wimbledon and Auckland this year and have now reached the last four on their first Finals campaign together.
Group 1 final-round results
| Match (winning team first) | Set 1 | Set 2 | Match tiebreak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guo / Mladenovic vs Mertens / Zhang | 6–7 (4) | 6–3 | 12–10 |
| Dabrowski / Stefani vs Hsieh / Ostapenko | 2–6 | 7–6 (2) | 10–3 |
Final doubles Group 1 records
| Position | Team | Wins–losses |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabriela Dabrowski / Luisa Stefani | 3–0 |
| 2 | Guo Hanyu / Kristina Mladenovic | 2–1 |
| 3 | Hsieh Su-wei / Jelena Ostapenko | 1–2 |
| 4 | Elise Mertens / Zhang Shuai | 0–3 |
