Taiwan’s Chan Yung-jan (詹詠然) and Switzerland’s Martina Hingis yesterday extended their winning streak to 18 matches as they claimed their ninth title of the season at the China Open in Beijing.
The top seeds got off to a flying start against fourth seeds Timea Babos and Andrea Hlavackova at the National Tennis Center, breaking the Babos serve and racing to a 3-0 lead in the first set.
The Hungarian-Czech duo fought back to make it 3-1, but on the Babos serve Chan forced an error with a stunning return of serve on break point in the sixth game as the Chan and Hingis went on to wrap up the first set 6-1.
Photo: AP
Babos and Hlavackova upped their game in the second set, but it was Chan and Hingis who secured the only break at 3-3, before Chan served out the match at 5-4, with Hlavackova hitting a return into the net on championship point.
“The girls were just unbeatable,” Babos told the tournament Web site.
Overall, Chan and Hingis saved all three break points they faced and converted three of nine, winning 59 of the 96 points contested in the 6-1, 6-4 victory in 65 minutes.
It was Hingis’ second China Open doubles title, having won with Sania Mirza in 2015, when they beat Chan Yung-jan and her younger sister Chan Hao-ching (詹皓晴) in the final.
“We had great competition against each other and since we’ve teamed up this is our ninth title. It’s a great honor for me to out here again this year and playing for the championships,” Hingis told the tournament Web site. “Thank you to all the fans here in Beijing, too, you’ve been a great support.”
It was the top seeds’ ninth title of the season after their victories in Mallorca, Indian Wells, Madrid, Rome, Eastbourne, Cincinnati, at the US Open last month and in Wuhan, China, the previous weekend.
Next up for Chan Yung-jan is this week’s Hong Kong Open, where she is teaming up with her sister to defend the title they claimed last year.
The sisters have one title as a pairing this season, at the Taiwan Open in February.
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