Both members of the top 10 of the singles world ranking, both in top-10 doubles players. Of course, we are talking about Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula. The second-best doubles team in the world are vying for their third title of the season at the Mutua Madrid Open after the ones collected in Qatar and at the Miami Masters 1000. The American duo reached the semi-finals by knocking out Dabrowski and Stefani in a close encounter that went to a match tiebreak (10-5). Today they squared off against Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriel Ruse in a bid to continue climbing gaining ground in the WTA Race, where they are currently among the top eight in the world.

The Romanian and Ukrainian pair came flying out of the blocks, earning themselves two break points in the first game, one of which they converted before going on to take a 5-2 lead in the first set. However, the Americans finally awoke from their slumber and unleashed a barrage of attacks to earn themselves five straight games and clinch the first set.

Now with the lead, Gauff and Pegula were just one set away from being the best team of the year by surpassing Czech pair Krejcikova and Siniakova in this season’s ranking to date. The second set was a topsy-turvy affair that included breaks on both sides of the net. The eighth-ranked team this year saved two match points on their serve in game eleven, but they were powerless to halt the momentum of Pegula and Gauff in the tiebreak, 7-5, 7-6 (5).

Gauff and Pegula will now battle it out for their first title in Madrid… can anyone stop them?