Alabama alum Alexa Guarachi falls in French Open women's doubles final

Staff report

Chile's Alexa Guarachi, right, and Desirae Krawczyk of the U.S. hold the runner-up trophy after losing the women's doubles final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Hungary's Timea Babos and France's Kristina Mladenovic at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2020. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Alexa Guarachi and partner Desirae Krawczyk lost in the French Open women's doubles final at Roland Garros Stadium in Paris on Sunday.

Guarachi, a native of Chile who played at the University of Alabama, and Krawczyk were seeded 14th. They battled their way through the draw to make the championship match before falling to the second-seeded team of Timea Babos and Kristina Miadenovic.

Babos and Miadenovic won 6-4, 7-5. Hungary's Babos and Kristina Mladenovic, a local favorite, had to withdraw from the US Open due to COVID-19 protocols.

Ten of the 22 games in the final went against serve.

In the semifinal round, Guarachi and Krawczyk defeated the unseeded team of Iga Swiatek and Nicole Melichar, 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-4. Swiatek had not last a set in singles or doubles until the esmifinal match.

In the quarterfinal round, Guarachi and Krawczyk defeated the No. 7-seeded duo of Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara, 6-0, 6-4. Guarachi was making her first quarterfinal appearance in a Grand Slam.

Guarachi and Krawczyk earned a spot in the quarterfinals by knocking off top-seeded, top-ranked Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strýcová 6-4, 7-5.

Guarachi and Krawczyk swept Storm Sanders and Ellen Perez in their opening match and then defeated Lauren Davis and Sabrina Santamaria, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Guarachi, who lists Destin, Fla., as her residence, was an All-American and All-SEC performer at Alabama. She made the semifinals at the NCAA Championships in singles and doubles and finished her career as the winningest player in both singles and doubles in UA women's tennis history.