Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe were on the wrong end of a comeback, falling 4-6, 7-6 (5), 11-9 to Americans Sofia Kenin and Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the Miami Open women’s doubles final on Sunday.
After taking the first set, Ottawa’s Dabrowski and Routliffe found themselves behind 5-1 in the second.
However, they forced a tiebreaker in which they fell behind 5-1 in as well before trying to rally but ultimately losing the set.
In the match tiebreak game, Kenin and Mattek-Sands turned a 5-0 edge into an 8-4 lead. Dabrowski and Routliffe kept plugging away, though, making it a 9-9 game before the Americans pulled away to seal the win.
The unseeded duo of Kenin and Mattek-Sands entered the tournament draw as alternates after the withdrawal of another team.
It was the first final appearance of the season for the second-seeded Dabrowski and Routliffe, who won the U.S. Open title last September.