New Zealand's Erin Routliffe (L) and Canada's Gabby Dabrowski contest the 2024 Wimbledon women's doubles final. Photo: AFP
New Zealand's Erin Routliffe has fallen one win short of claiming a second Grand Slam tennis title after she and Canadian partner Gabby Dabrowski were beaten in the Wimbledon women's doubles final.
The pair who stormed to victory at last year's US Open in New York couldn't repeat that result against American Taylor Townsend and Czech player Katerina Siniakova, going down in straight sets.
Both sets in the two-hour contest were decided by tiebreak, with Townsend and Siniakova winning the first 7-5 and powering home to win the second 7-1.
An emotional Routliffe took some solace in the knowledge she will be ranked the world's No.1 women's doubles player when the WTA rankings are updated next week.
"There's something about Wimbledon that makes you so much more emotional. Every match we've won I've been crying like a baby," she said.
"Gabby took a chance on me a year ago, and it's completely changed my life. I'm so excited for the rest of the year to play together."
New Zealand's Erin Routliffe and Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski celebrate with the trophy following the US Open tennis tournament women's doubles final match, 2023. Photo: AFP
Routliffe will join forces with Lulu Sun to contest the women's doubles at the Paris Olympics.
Sun, who switched allegiance to New Zealand from Switzerland in March, put her name up in lights by reaching the women's singles quarter-finals.