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MADRID, Spain – The No.5 seeded team of Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic struck once again in their burgeoning rivalry with World No.1 doubles team Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis. The Frenchwomen defeated Hingis and Mirza 6-4, 6-4 to claim the doubles title at the Mutua Madrid Open.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Madrid right here on wtatennis.com!

Despite the French team being seeded No.5 in Madrid, they’ve emerged as a force to be reckoned with in 2016, reaching five finals in the eight tournaments they’ve played together. They’re also developing a fierce rivalry with Hingis and Mirza: the pairs have met twice before – both times in finals – and split their head to head record.

“It’s definitely great period for us,” Garcia said in the post-match press conference. “Three finals, three titles, and two times against No.1 in the world, Martina and Sania, and once against Bethanie and Lucie. So it’s only great matches every single time.

“Very, very happy with what we produced on the court today.”

Playing in their third final against each other, both teams came to the Caja Magica looking primed and ready, winning every match en route to the final in straight sets.

Hingis and Mirza found themselves down a double break straight out of the gate as the Frenchwomen surged ahead 3-0. The world’s leading pair – who own the third-best unbeaten run in WTA history at 41 matches – found a way to stem the tide and level the score at 3-3. But another late break from the French team put them ahead again and they took the set 6-4.

Another early break put Hingis and Mirza in trouble once again in the second set. Despite creating five chances to break the French team and get back on even ground, Garcia and Mladenovic saved every one. They took the second set 6-4 and claimed their third title of their doubles partnership.

Any plans for a celebration were cut short by the realities of a tennis player’s hectic schedule:

“We basically have 12 more minutes before catching our car to get to the airport,” Mladenovic said.

But still, they were able to treat themselves before heading off to Rome.

“The biggest reward was the first dessert of the week,” she added. “Here at buffet it’s amazing, and we are very proud – [we didn’t] touch any sweet things, which is very, very good.”

“But we did now,” Garcia grinned.

Every week on wtatennis.com we’ll bring you 10 Things To Know about the week – who’s playing, where and more. This week the Road To Singapore goes through the Internazionali BNL d’Italia.

1) Serena Williams debuts on the dirt.
The World No.1 has won Rome three times in her career – including back-to-back years in 2013 and 2014 – but injuries and illness have kept her out of the first half of the clay court season. Still in search of her first title of the year, could it come this week? She might have to go through two of the most in-form players to do it, including No.6 seed Simona Halep and No.4 seed Victoria Azarenka. She also took a doubles wildcard with sister Venus Williams.

2) Simona Halep aims for a clay court double.
Halep looked have put her early-season demons to rest with an emphatic run to the Mutua Madrid Open title. Dropping just one set en route, the Romanian will return to the Top 5 in next week’s rankings; might she pull off a major upset over Williams in the quarterfinals?

3) Victoria Azarenka balancing niggling injuries.
The Belarusian withdrew from last week’s tournament in Madrid with a lower back injury she said she picked up in her first round win over Laura Robson. Looking to maintain a clean bill of health ahead of the French Open, Azarenka has already proven she can play solid tennis on clay this season – winning two crucial rubbers in Fed Cup in addition to two wins in Spain. Projected to face Williams in the semifinals, how far will the former No.1 go?

4) How will Angelique Kerber rebound from her early Madrid loss?
No.1 on the Road to Singapore standings, Kerber suffered a suprising loss to Barbora Strycova in Madrid – the German had previously never lost a set in four previous encounters. Already a winner on clay at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, outdoor clay remains the final frontier for the Australian Open champion, who has yet to pass the quarterfinals at the French Open. She is all but guaranteed a tricky opening round opponent in either Jelena Jankovic or Eugenie Bouchard.

5) Can Garcia and Mladenovic keep up their streak?
Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic have been unbeatable since the start of the clay court season; with three straight titles in Charleston, Stuttgart, and Madrid, the Frenchwomen have won 13 straight matches and have beaten reigning Co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza in back-to-back finals. Taking out Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova to win the Volvo Car Open, Garcia and Mladenovic are again seeded No.5 and could play Santina in yet another final.

6) Santina searches for a clay court title.
Hingis and Mirza have won a title on every surface but red clay – though their runs to the finals of Rome (2015), Stuttgart, and Madrid can’t be ignored. The pair are just one major trophy away from clinching a Santina Slam, and besides losses to Garcia and Mladenovic, have looked back to their best, losing just two games to Vania King and Alla Kudryavtseva (who beat them in Indian Wells) in last week’s semifinals.

7) All eyes on the Spanish quarter.
Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suárez Navarro are set to face off in the quarterfinals following difficult homecomings in Madrid. Muguruza lost a heartbreaking three-setter to Irina-Camelia Begu, while Suárez Navarro was dealing with an illness as she too lost in three sets to Samantha Stosur. Two of the best clay courters on tour, how will Suárez Navarro – last year’s runner-up – fair in Rome against her countrywoman?

8) Vinci comes home.
Playing her first Italian event since reaching the US Open final, Roberta Vinci had muted expectations ahead of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, having only made it to the third round once in 11 appearances. Seeded No.7 this week, she will open against a qualifier or Johanna Konta, the British No.1 who enjoyed a breakout run to the semifinals of the Australian Open, but will be likely less comfortable on clay compared to her potential Italian opponent.

9) Kvitova on clay.
Armed with a new coach and new philiosophy, Petra Kvitova has played some of her best tennis on clay this season, reaching the semifinals in Stuttgart and the third round of Madrid before running into nemesis Daria Gavrilova. Opening against Madison Keys or Andrea Petkovic, the two-time Wimbledon champion is projected to face Kerber in the quarterfinals.

10) And see where you can watch action from Rome on TennisTV!

CHARLESTON, SC, USA – Mirjana Lucic-Baroni took down the hometown favorite Shelby Rogers in three sets to reach the semifinals at the Volvo Car Open.

35-year-old Lucic-Baroni – the oldest player left in the draw – first played in Charleston in 2001, the same year her opponent Rogers was a ball girl at this very tournament. The Croat had never been past the round of 16 on the green clay, but on Friday night she mounted a spirited comeback to oust Rogers from her home tournament, 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-1.

“It was beautiful in a way,” Lucic-Baroni said in her post-match press conference. “It was difficult playing against the crowd, because Shelby is from here. It’s normal. It’s always tough, but I felt they were very respectful. They were cheering for their home girl, and it’s totally normal.

“The wind was what was really difficult today. It was incredibly hard, and the fact that I came out yesterday and today playing some great tennis and winning in these conditions, it’s incredible, really, really good effort.

.@Shelby_Rogers_ saves set point and claims the first set 7-6(7)! #VolvoCarOpen pic.twitter.com/MNRXGG6ySb

— WTA (@WTA) 7 de abril de 2017

Just one point made the difference for Rogers as she took the rollercoaster opening set under blustery conditions – which Lucic-Baroni described as, “I would rather play with a live lion running around in normal conditions than play in today’s weather.”

The Charleston-native leveraged the vocal home support to inspire an early comeback as she found herself down a break with Lucic-Baroni serving for the set at 5-4. She dodged a Lucic-Baroni set point to take it to a tiebreaker, then denied the Croat another one as she edged through to take the opening set.

But the big-hitting Lucic-Baroni refused to fold, and reeled in the errors from her all-or-nothing game to shut out Rogers from the next two sets. She didn’t allow Rogers a single break opportunity as she broke the American five times in a row to snatch a dizzying ten games in a row before claiming the match – and her spot in the semifinals – in two hours and thirteen minutes.

Third Semifinal of 2017!

Lucic-Baroni downs Rogers 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-1 at @VolvoCarOpen! pic.twitter.com/Ir5ELxURsr

— WTA (@WTA) 7 de abril de 2017

“I was just trying to fight for every point,” Rogers reflected in her post-match press conference. “Like it was definitely back and forth. I thought we had a very good level. It was super entertaining; and bad luck, I wish I could have kept it up.

“But a lot of positives to take from that, and you know, moving forward into the clay season, this week’s been great for me, and so many good things to move forward and build on.”

Meanwhile, Lucic-Baroni had nothing but praise for her opponent, lauding her to the adoring Charleston crowd.

“You guys should be so proud of Shelby,” she said. “She’s such a wonderful girl, amazing tennis player with a super bright future and present as well. You should really be proud, she represents [Charleston] beautifully.”

ROME, Italy – 1999 champion Venus Williams got off to a winning start in her campaign at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia with a solid victory over fellow American CoCo Vandeweghe, 6-4, 6-3.

Watch highlights, interviews and more video from Rome right here on wtatennis.com!

In her first match since the green clay of Charleston almost a month ago, the former No.1 was drawn against the big serving No.40 Vandeweghe in the first women’s match of the day at the Foro Italico. Even though they are familiar with each other as Fed Cup teammates, it was the pair’s first encounter.

“I have hit with her a little bit at Fed Cup but not really sure what to expect,” Williams said after the match. “I imagine that on the clay I have a little bit more advantage, just having played more matches on clay. I think that helped a lot.”

It took a while for both players to find their range in the first set. Neither of them able to really assert themselves during their service games with Williams serving at 44% and Vandeweghe at 50%. Williams kept pressuring the younger American with her net play and angles until she finally struck, breaking for 5-3. Vandeweghe broke right back, but Williams responded in kind to take the first set.

In the second set, Williams backed up an early break with a comfortable hold to get a 3-1 lead. She continued to jam up Vandeweghe with a punishing body serve, leaving her to wreak havoc on the open court.

Despite the stats initially skewing to Vandeweghe­’s favor, it was Williams who kept her head during the key points: she converted three of the five break chances that went her way, and Vandeweghe just one of five. Williams struck 13 winners and 16 unforced errors to Vandeweghe’s 20 and 27.

Also in the bottom half of the draw, a pair of qualifiers caused a shakeup by taking out two seeded players. Monica Puig weathered a mid-match surge from No.15 seed Elina Svitolina before advancing 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, and Heather Watson broke Italian hearts when she sent the No.14 seed packing in emphatic fashion, ousting the 2014 finalist 6-4, 3-6, 6-0.

Meanwhile Teliana Pereira, Ekaterina Makarova, Madison Keys and Barbora Strycova also made their way to the second round.

There's that @VenusesWilliams victory twirl ? #ibi16 pic.twitter.com/PMLeNcRP6D

— WTA (@WTA) May 9, 2016

BIEL/BIENNE, Switzerland/BOGOTA, Colombia – The Ladies Open Biel Bienne will make its debut on the WTA circuit this week. The second annual tournament in Switzerland is played on indoor hard-courts. While the Claro Open Colsanitas continues the spring, clay court season. Since it’s upgrade to a WTA-level event in 1998, the Colombian tournament has evolved into one of the most prestigious sporting events in all of Latin America.

1) The Swiss are out with a vengeance.
Three Swiss players are playing in Biel/Bienne this week. Belinda Bencic, former World No.7 was given a wildcard into the tournament, while Rebeka Masarova is back at home after making her debut to the women’s tour at Gstaad in 2016 – beating former World No.1 Jelena Jankovic in the first round. Finally, Viktorija Golubic who went on to win the tile in Gstaad, is also in action.

2) Strycova leads in Swiss field.
Top seed Barbora Strycova will aim to win her second career title in Biel/Bienne after strong results at the Miami Open in singles and doubles. Her last title came in 2011 at the Tournoi de Québec – another indoor hardcourt event. 

3) Babos, Niculescu anchor quarter of contrasts.
There are few match-ups more fun than those that provide a contrast in styles, one of which we may get if No.3 seed Timea Babos and No.8 seed Monica Niculescu advance into the last eight. Niculescu leads their head-to-head 3-2, but Babos won both of their 2016 encounters.

4) Carla Suárez Navarro back on form after injury.
Suárez Navarro looks nearly back to her best after an injury-addled start to 2017, she will come into Biel as the No.2 seed after reaching the quarterfinals in Monterry last week.

5) Vinci gets KrisPlis rematch in Biel/Bienne.
Roberta Vinci was a game away from knocking out Kristyna Pliskova at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships before Karolina’s twin sister stunned the Italian veteran in three sets. The two face off again in the first round in Biel/Bienne, Vinci the No.4 seed.

6) Kiki Bertens will start in Colombia as the No.1 seed.
The Dutchwoman reached her career high in February, cracking the World’s Top 20. She is set to play 20-year-old Nina Stojanovic in the first round.

7) Irina Falconi is back to defend her title in Bogota.
The World No.105 has has struggled with injury since winning her maiden WTA title last spring, but she will be fighting to defend it this week. The American faces Slovenian Dalila Jakupovic in the first round.

8) Errani to face streaking Alexandrova.
Former French Open finalist Sara Errani will begin her red clay swing in earnest down in Bogota, but will first have to get past the on-fire Ekaterina Alexandrova. The young Russian comes to Colombia on the back of 10 straight wins and two ITF titles in China and France.

9) Siniakova aims to bring doubles success to singles court in Bogota.
20-year-old Katerina Siniakova started the season with a singles title in Shenzhen, and has since shown her best tennis on the doubles court with Lucie Hradecka, reaching finals at the BNP Paribas Open and the Volvo Car Open last week. The Czech will aim to rediscover her singles form in Bogota, where she will be the No.2 seed.

10) Can Arruabarrena reclaim her Colombian crown.
Lara Arruabarrena won the Claro Open Colsanitas in 2012, and has shown some improved hardcourt form at the Miami Open, where she upset Madison Keys en route to the fourth round. The No.4 seed in Bogota, she opens against a qualifier.

World No.8 Agnieszka Radwanska knows what it’s like to be a teenage queen.

The Pole won her first WTA title at the age of 18 in 2007, and reached both her first Grand Slam quarterfinal and the world’s top 10 the next season. A decade later, WTA teenagers were in the spotlight on Sunday as Daria Kasatkina defeated Jelena Ostapenko to win the first all-teenaged final at a WTA event since 2009 at the Volvo Car Open.

For Radwanska, who turned professional at the age of 16, game recognizes game.

“Now I know what my opponents must have felt like back then. I have to say, the younger players on tour right now are dangerous,” Radwanska wrote in a Straits Times column this week. “We talk about it among ourselves. ‘The kids are coming!’ I think the new generation of players are just better than earlier in my career. They really play smart. From a young age, they’re already pushing to play tournaments and matches. They’re sacrificing a lot but that means they’re very good when they’re 16 or 17.”

Recognizing that she is now closer to the end of her career than the beginning, the 28-year-old reflected on playing a full schedule over the course of her years on the circuit, and how growing up in tennis has evolved.  

“When I was a junior, I played tournaments and went to school at the same time, and I went step by step. I had a pretty normal life, only unlike my friends I didn’t have much time for myself….I’ve been on tour for so long. I haven’t had any breaks. I’ve had a couple of surgeries but I always had those during the off-season and I’m always ready for the majors. I’ve played 43 Grand Slams in a row.”

She added: “My goal now is to maximize the time I have left on tour, and that means being as efficient as possible in my schedule by making the most of my opportunities.”

In the lead-up to the Oct 22-29 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, the eight singles players from last year will pen a monthly exclusive column for The Straits Times. The second installment features 2015 champion Agnieszka Radwanska — read it in full here.