Doubles Take: Hamburg, Atlanta & more

From clay to hard courts and back again, the pros are battling it out as the summer heats up. Here's your weekly serving of Doubles Take.

GEORGIA ON THEIR MINDS

Things seemed to be going Austin Krajicek and Dominic Inglot’s way in the final of the Atlanta Open: up a set and 5-2 in the second set tiebreak, only two points away from the title.

However, they were facing arguably the greatest doubles team of all time, Bob and Mike Bryan, who showed why they deserve such acclaim by rallying from the brink to level the match.

In the match tiebreak, it was Krajicek and Inglot’s turn to show they weren’t done as they fought off multiple championship points to clinch victory.

It’s the second title of the year for the English-American duo, who won on grass in ‘s-Hertogenbosch right before Wimbledon.

THE PERFECT BOUNCE-BACK

At the Croatia Open, Oliver Marach and Jurgen Melzer came painfully close to winning their first title together before losing to Robin Haase and Philipp Oswald, after having multiple match points.

Rebounding from that defeat, they moved on to Hamburg, and dominated from start to finish. Facing Haase for the second week in a row, this time partnered with Wesley Koolhof, the Austrians topped the Dutchmen in straight sets in the final.

It’s the second title of the year for Marach and third for Melzer.

VETERAN’S (AND ROOKIE’S) DAY

Going into the championship match of the WTA event in Palermo, Italy, Renata Voracova had reached 20 doubles finals over the course of her career. Her partner, Cornelia Lister, was making her final debut.

That lack of experience wasn’t a factor: Lister seized on her first opportunity to clinch a title as she and Voracova defeated Ekaterine Gorgodze—another finals debutant—and Arantxa Rus.

SOMETHING HAD TO GIVE

Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen entered the Swiss Open fresh off capturing their first ATP title at the Swedish Open. While the Belgians were breaking through in Bastad, Philipp Oswald was winning the title in Umag with Robin Haase, as mentioned earlier.

Gille, Vliegen and Oswald came into the Swiss Open final riding seven-match win streaks. Oswald, playing with comeback kid Filip Polasek this tournament, couldn’t stop the Belgian duo.

Gille and Vliegen left Switzerland with another title and are in Austria now, where their win streak now stands at nine matches after a first-round win.

A LONG TIME COMING

Last year, Sharon Fichman returned to the WTA Tour after nearly two years away. The Canadian reached the doubles final in Nuremberg, this past May, her first in five years. At the inaugural Baltic Open, she went a step further.

Fichman and Nina Stojanovic took the title over hometown favorite Jelena Ostapenko and Galina Voskoboeva. It’s Fichman’s first victory in five years, and the first career title for Stojanovic.

THIS WEEK

Both tours are in Washington, D.C., for the Citi Open, where the draws are, shall we say, lit.

The men do have two other events going on. In Los Cabos, Dominic Inglot and Austin Krajicek are the top seeds and will be trying for a second hard-court title in a row—and third for the season. Meanwhile, on clay in Kitzbuhel, local favorites and top seeds Oliver Marach and Jurgen Melzer are on a collision course with Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen.

The WTA also has another hard-court tournament besides Washington on tap this week. In San Jose, the top seeds are Kveta Peschke and Nicole Melichar, who received a first-round bye.

Follow Van on Twitter: @Van_Sias