Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund won their way into Sunday’s HSBC Championships doubles final on a walkover, only to lose it 6-3, 6-7(4), 10-5 to Tereza Mihalikova and Olivia Nicholls.
The moment Canada’s Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund stepped into the women’s doubles final at the HSBC Championships, the story already looked like it might end in celebration. It didn’t.
On Sunday, Fernandez and Siegemund were beaten 6-3, 6-7(4), 10-5 by Slovakia’s Tereza Mihalikova and Britain’s Olivia Nicholls to deny Fernandez a first WTA doubles title. Fernandez had been chasing that milestone after reaching the final via a Saturday walkover.
The path to the championship match had been ready-made: Fernandez and Siegemund were scheduled to face Americans Iva Jovic and McCartney Kessler. But Jovic withdrew after losing 6-2, 6-2 to Britain’s Emma Raducanu in the singles semifinals earlier in the day.
Fernandez, ranked 23rd in women’s singles, arrived in the week with singles success already on her résumé—she has claimed five career WTA singles titles—but Sunday’s result kept the doubles breakthrough out of reach.
The final itself swung sharply. After the first set went to Mihalikova and Nicholls, Fernandez and Siegemund forced their way back. They earned consecutive breaks in the second set—while being broken as well—to level the match at 6-6, then won the tiebreak 7-4.
That momentum didn’t carry the day into the match-deciding set. Mihalikova and Nicholls controlled the final stretch, taking the deciding set 10-5 to clinch the title.
There were also sharp efficiency moments from Fernandez and Siegemund, who combined for five aces and committed no double faults. Still, the key pressure moments tilted away from them: they converted two of five break points, while being broken three times in six opportunities.
One doubles crown remained just beyond reach for Fernandez on Sunday, even with the chance presented by a walkover and a second-set comeback that looked like it could flip the whole match.
Leylah Fernandez Laura Siegemund Tereza Mihalikova Olivia Nicholls HSBC Championships women's doubles final WTA doubles
Walkover into a final and still lost?? That’s gotta sting.
Wait so they won their way in on a walkover, then lost 6-3, 6-7, and 10-5… like how does doubles even get to 10-5?? I swear tennis rules are always changing.
Maybe the other team just wanted it more? But also Jovic withdrew and Leylah still couldn’t get the doubles title so idk… I thought walkovers basically guarantee you’ll win the whole thing. Confusing.
They had five aces and no double faults, so I’m like why not win. Sounds like they choked the tiebreak or something. Also why was it 10-5 in the deciding set, that’s not even a normal score like cmon.