Magali Kempen and Alexandra Panova surged into the Cincinnati Open doubles final on Friday, upsetting fifth seeds Jelena Ostapenko and Hsieh Su-wei 6-3, 7-5 to continue a fast-rising partnership that began only in late June.
Kempen and Panova reach Cincinnati doubles final
SEO Title: Kempen and Panova Upset Ostapenko and Hsieh to Reach Cincinnati Final
SEO Description: Magali Kempen and Alexandra Panova defeated fifth seeds Jelena Ostapenko and Hsieh Su-wei in straight sets to book a place in the Cincinnati Open doubles final.
- First set: Kempen and Panova took control early and closed out a 6-3 set against Ostapenko and Hsieh.
- Second set: The Belgian-Russian pairing held their nerve in a tighter finish, sealing the semifinal 7-5.
The unseeded pair will contest their second WTA doubles final of the 2026 season, having previously made the championship match in Hamburg. Their Cincinnati title opponents will be either Americans Caty McNally and Iva Jovic or Czechs Marie Bouzkova and Linda Noskova.
The final is scheduled as the opening match on Stadium Court on Saturday at 11 a.m. The champions will receive $379,080.
For Kempen, reaching the final on one of the tour’s biggest hard-court stages carries special meaning. “It is incredible and I am very happy,” she said. “We have been playing really well, and I feel we have earned this opportunity. Playing a final on a court like this has been a dream for me.”
A partnership gathering momentum
Kempen and Panova have played six events together since joining forces around the Bad Homburg tournament. Their first outing ended in the opening round, but their results have progressed steadily: a second-round run at Wimbledon, semifinalists in Iasi, finalists in Hamburg and, after an early departure in Toronto, a return to form in Cincinnati.
The road to the final has included two significant seeded wins. Before eliminating Ostapenko and Hsieh, both former Grand Slam finalists, they also knocked out second seeds Aleksandra Krunic and Anna Danilina. Krunic and Danilina had reached the doubles finals at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros this season.
Panova said the pair’s work away from the match court has helped establish their understanding quickly.
“We put in good work before the event to build the chemistry, and once it clicked, everything started to flow,” Panova said. “Our styles fit together and we support each other when one of us needs cover. We follow the plan and listen to the coach.”
She added that doubles communication remains central between points. “You have to keep talking constantly. It is work before every point and after every point.”
Panova also recognized the standard of opposition they have overcome in Cincinnati. “We are very proud to have beaten teams of that quality,” she said. “It takes a lot to get past them, so it was a very good effort from us.”
Title chance and career milestones
Kempen will play for the third WTA doubles title of her career and her second in 2026. Panova, the more experienced member of the pairing, is seeking a 12th WTA doubles trophy.
Before becoming regular partners, both players had rotated through different doubles combinations during the first part of the season. Panova said that makes their Cincinnati run a reward for a longer stretch of work, rather than only the past two months.
“It means a great deal, but it is not only about lifting a trophy,” Panova said. “We want to enjoy each day and not get ahead of ourselves. Titles are the reward for the work you put in, but you have to appreciate the process.”
She noted that the path to a major final has involved a demanding season in which earnings at earlier events did not always cover expenses. “It has taken seven or eight months of the year to get to this point,” Panova said. “This is recognition for the work done all the way to arriving here.”
