Doubles Take: Lexington, Prague and more

Doubles Take looks at what the pros are up to, on and off the court.

KENTUCKY CONQUERED

At the beginning of the Top Seed Open in Lexington, Ky., Hayley Carter and Luisa Stefani were a little off on how to celebrate a victory in the new world.

By the end of the week, though, the former college stars had it down pat.

Playing in their third final together in less than a year, Carter and Stefani won their second title, defeating singles runner-up Jil Teichmann and her partner Marie Bouzkova. Seeded No. 4, Carter and Stefani didn’t drop a set all week.

CZECH-MATE

Two-time Grand Slam champs Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic were the top seeds and heavy favorites at the Prague Open, but their run came to an end in the semifinals at the hands of Monica Niculescu and Irina Camelia-Begu.

Lucie Hradecka and Kristyna Pliskova, the No. 2 seeds, ensured that the top prizes would stay at home.

Playing together for the first time, Hradecka and Pliskova were only pushed to the brink once, in the semifinals. Each of them won their first title in a year, with Hradecka claiming her 21st doubles crown and Pliskova her fourth overall.

THE DOUBLES BUBBLE

The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and a few local hotels, just got a little more crowded.

WTA and ATP Tour players are getting ready for the double-header of the summer with the Western & Southern Open (usually held in Cincinnati) and the US Open all taking place in New York.

It’s definitely a different time.

The players, though, are eager to chase trophies and coins while living life in “the bubble,” with the on-court action only a few days away.