Kiwi Erin Routliffe and partner Gabriela Dabrowski have been knocked out of the Australian Open women's doubles in straight sets.
Routliffe and Canadian Dabrowski, who won the US Open together in 2023, were beaten 7-5, 7-5 by the pair of Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, and Lyudmyla Kichenok of Ukraine, in a match that lasted 1h 35m.
As a pair, Routliffe and Dabrowski saw their serve broken six times, and threw away a 3-0 advantage in the second set, and missed the chance to add the Australian Open to their trophy cabinet.
Frustratingly, the Kiwi and her partner produced more aces (three to two) and less double-faults (two to five) than their opponents.
Ostapenko has never won a doubles Grand Slam title, but does boast the 2017 French Open singles title.
Kichenok has won nine women's doubles titles in her career, including six with Ostapenko, most recently at the Brisbane International earlier this month.
