Doubles Preview: Ukrainian sister act takes on all-American favorites for Charleston Open title
It’s double trouble at noon in Charleston on Finals Sunday, and the Credit One Charleston Open crowds will have plenty to cheer about – especially with an all-American team competing for the title.
It’s been a thrilling week of doubles at this year’s event, with multiple matches being decided by final-set super tiebreaks. That includes both semifinals, which saw the Kichenok sisters take out No. 1 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez & Ellen Perez in one of the longest doubles matches of the year and Ashlyn Krueger & Sloane Stephens recover from a set down to blitz Eri Hozumi & Makoto Ninomiya.
Does the American wild card team cap off a dream week in front of their home crowd? Or do the Ukranian twins back up their semifinal upset win over the top seeds and claim their first title as a team since 2022?
MORE: Updated draws | Sunday order of play
12 p.m. ET – L. Kichenok/N. Kichenok vs. [WC] A. Krueger/S. Stephens
The sister act is back! Ukrainan twin sisters Lyudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok team up for the first time since Cleveland in August 2023 in hopes of claiming their first title together in two years. Lyudmyla had a career best finish at a Grand Slam this year alongside Jelena Ostapenko, finishing runner up at the Australian Open, while Nadiia is competing in her 19th career doubles final at the WTA Tour level.
Across the net from the Ukrainians will be the all-American duo of Krueger and Stephens, wild card entrants at this year’s Charleston Open. The two are playing their fourth tournament together as a team this year, having reached the quarter-finals in Brisbane to start the year and in Miami last week – their best result together.
Regardless of who comes out on top – whether it be the big serving Americans or the crafty Ukraining doubles specialists – the title will be either team’s biggest in their careers.
Ready? Play!