Doubles semis set at FAGE WTA Finals after dramatic conclusion to Group 1 action

Top seeds Gabriela Dabrowski and Luisa Stefani and third seeds Guo Hanyu and Kristina Mladenovic both rallied from a set down in their final Group 1 matches to secure semifinal berths at the FAGE WTA Finals in Indian Wells on Friday.

FAGE WTA Finals championship matches will simulcast for free on Tennis Channel 2

Dabrowski and Stefani won the evening's opening doubles match, rallying from a set and a break down to defeat Su-Wei Hsieh and Jelena Ostapenko 2-6, 7-6 (2), 10-3. The victory was their third in as many matches, completing an unbeaten run through the group stage.

The result meant Hsieh and Ostapenko needed Mladenovic and Guo to lose the final match of the day to advance to the semifinals.

They nearly got their wish as Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai, already eliminated from semifinal contention, held two match points against Guo and Mladenovic. However, the third seeds fought back to claim a 6-7 (4), 6-3, 12-10 victory and secure their place in the last four as the second-place finishers in Group 1.

Dabrowski, Stefani to face Siniakova, Townsend in semifinals

The tournament's top two seeded teams will square off in the semifinals as No. 1 seeds Dabrowski and Stefani take on No. 2 seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend.

Dabrowski and Stefani topped Group 1 with a 3-0 record, while Siniakova and Townsend finished second in Group 2 with a 2-1 record.

Siniakova and Townsend have won both previous meetings between the teams this season, scoring a dominant 6-0, 6-1 victory in the Roland Garros semifinals and a three-set win in the Miami semifinals.

Dabrowski and Stefani are making their first appearance together at the WTA Finals, although both have previously reached the championship match with different partners.

Dabrowski is making her eighth appearance at the season-ending tournament, having won the title in 2024 alongside Erin Routliffe. The pair defeated Siniakova and Townsend in the final that year.

Stefani is competing at the WTA Finals for the second time, having reached the final last year with Timea Babos.

The Canadian-Brazilian pair have won six titles together this season. Their haul includes WTA 1000 titles in Wuhan, Beijing and Dubai, the WTA 500 title in Strasbourg and two WTA 250 trophies in Eastbourne and Sao Paulo.

Meanwhile, Siniakova and Townsend are competing at the WTA Finals for the third consecutive year and have advanced to the semifinals on each occasion. Their best result came in 2024, when they finished as runners-up.

The Czech-American duo have won five titles this season, including Roland Garros, the US Open, Madrid, Miami and Indian Wells.

Townsend is making her third WTA Finals appearance, while Siniakova is competing for the eighth time. The Czech won the title in 2021 alongside Barbora Krejcikova.

Errani, Paolini to face Guo, Mladenovic in second semifinal

The second semifinal will feature third seeds Kristina Mladenovic and Guo Hanyu against eighth seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini.

Errani and Paolini, who were the eighth and final team to qualify for the tournament, finished atop Group 2 with a perfect 3-0 record. The Italians have advanced beyond the group stage for the first time after failing to do so in their two previous appearances together.

Guo and Mladenovic finished second in Group 1 with a 2-1 record, saving match points in both their victories.

The pair saved four match points against Hsieh and Ostapenko in their opening group match before saving another two today against Mertens and Zhang.

The two teams have met once this season, with Guo and Mladenovic winning a match tiebreak in the Indian Wells quarterfinals.

Paolini is making her third consecutive WTA Finals appearance, all alongside Errani. Errani had previously qualified for the tournament three times with countrywoman Roberta Vinci. This season, Errani and Paolini won the title in Tokyo and reached the final in Miami. Both Italians have reached the semifinals for the first time.

Guo is making her WTA Finals debut, while Mladenovic is competing for the fifth time. The Frenchwoman is a two-time champion at the season-ending tournament, having won back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019 alongside Timea Babos. Guo and Mladenovic have won two titles together this season, at Wimbledon and Auckland.