Ohio’s Caty McNally and teenager Iva Jovic have turned a first-time partnership into a Cincinnati Open doubles semifinal run, surviving three straight match tiebreaks to reach the last four of the WTA 1000 draw.
Cincinnati Open doubles: McNally and Jovic surge into semifinals
SEO Title: McNally and Jovic reach Cincinnati Open doubles semifinals
SEO Description: Caty McNally and Iva Jovic have reached the Cincinnati Open doubles semifinals after three match-tiebreak victories, including an upset of the top seeds.
McNally, playing close to home in Ohio, and Jovic had never entered a WTA Tour event together before this week. Their familiarity away from competition has quickly translated to the court, however, with the pair eliminating No. 1 seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend during a sequence of tight victories.
Every one of their three Cincinnati matches has required a deciding 10-point breaker, with each finishing by no more than four points. The pair now meet Czech duo Linda Noskova and Marie Bouzkova for a place in the final. Noskova and Bouzkova advanced on Thursday by beating seventh seeds Erin Routliffe and Aldila Sutjiadi.
Jovic said the partnership felt comfortable from the beginning because she and McNally had long shared practice courts and their teams were already closely acquainted.
“We have known each other for years, trained together often and understood each other’s games,” Jovic said. “Being on the same side of the net felt natural.”
McNally, an established doubles specialist with multiple WTA trophies and Grand Slam final appearances, said their respective games fit together. Jovic’s willingness to strike aggressively has given McNally licence to press forward and hunt at the net.
“Iva is not out there to simply put the ball in play; she goes after it,” McNally said. “That lets me look to be active at the net. Our energy has been strong, and we have adjusted well when the match has demanded it.”
Jovic finding valuable match time after singles exit
For Jovic, the Cincinnati campaign is her first WTA 1000 doubles semifinal. While she is better known for her singles progress and does not play doubles as regularly as McNally, the extra matches have offered a useful competitive setting after her singles run ended.
Jovic said doubles has allowed her to work under match pressure on the opening exchanges of rallies, particularly the first two shots — an area she is also targeting for singles.
“It is more useful than just training because it is a real competitive environment,” Jovic said. “I feel I am improving through these matches.”
The pair have embraced the tension of the deciding breakers, even if they would prefer not to need them. Jovic noted that a 10-point format still leaves room to recover from an early deficit, and said they have enjoyed the particular rhythm of those pressure moments.
Home title opportunity for McNally
McNally is chasing a first WTA 1000 title and has reached a Masters-level semifinal for the first time. A championship in Cincinnati would carry added meaning for the Ohio native, though she is keeping her focus on the next match rather than the trophy.
“It would mean a lot, especially at home, but I am taking it match by match,” McNally said. “We have played very good tennis and it has been a lot of fun.”
Other Cincinnati doubles semifinal
The other half of the draw features fifth seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko against Magali Kempen and Alexandra Panova.
Hsieh and Ostapenko moved through with a 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal win over third seeds Kristina Mladenovic and Guo Hanyu, the reigning Wimbledon champions. The fifth seeds are now the only seeded team still alive in the tournament.
It is only their second event together since Doha, but they have reached the semifinals in both Toronto and Cincinnati. Hsieh and Ostapenko are scheduled to open play on Center Court against Kempen and Panova, with a final berth at stake.
