TENNIS: Top seeds Siniakova and Townsend clinch French Open women's doubles title

Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend powered their way to their first French Open triumph together, beating second seeds Anna Danilina and Aleksandra Krunic 6-2 7-5 in Sunday's doubles final.

The top seeds weathered an early slump in the second set when Czech Siniakova netted multiple returns, but American Townsend's clinical winners got them back in the contest before Siniakova's powerful serving clinched their third Grand Slam title as a pair.

"I don't know which time I'm congratulating you again, I'm kind of getting sick of this," Krunic jokingly told the 30-year-old Siniakova, who has now won 11 Grand Slam titles in women's doubles, including four at Roland Garros.

Kazakhstan's Danilina and Serbian Krunic have now lost two French Open finals in a row, after also losing the Australian Open final in January.

The second seeds controlled the net in the first four games as the scoreline remained even. But Siniakova's powerful overhead lobs, often set up by Townsend's serves out wide, helped the top seeds to win the next four games.

An early break put Danilina and Krunic 3-0 up in the second set but Townsend's lethal winners helped the Czech-American duo to get back the break in the seventh game.

The top seeds then saved three set points to make it 5-5, before getting a decisive break that sealed the title.

"It really has been a long seven weeks for me being away from my son... so it really means a lot to me to be able to bring this trophy home to him," said Townsend, as an emotional Siniakova fought back tears.

-Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru;Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Clare Fallon/Reuters