Doubles Take looks at the teams in tandem on the ATP and WTA tours, along with a preview of what’s coming down the pipeline.
AMERICAN HEROINES
Unlike the Davis Cup, its counterpart on the men’s side, Fed Cup puts doubles after four singles matches. In the semifinal of the women’s team competition over the weekend, one result was already determined before the final match as Belarus upset Switzerland to make its first Fed Cup final by winning three singles matches.
But the U.S. and Czech Republic split their four singles matches. CoCo Vandeweghe, who won both of her matches, teamed up with world No. 1 Bethanie Mattek-Sands. The Czechs brought out Katerina Siniakova, ranked No. 17 in doubles, and Kristyna Pliskova to put the defending champs back in the final.
Mattek-Sands and Vandeweghe, though, were busy pulling off shots like this: