Taiwanese sisters Chan Hao-ching (詹皓晴) and Latisha Chan (詹詠然) yesterday claimed their first doubles title of the season at the Hobart International, while 20-year-old American Sofia Kenin cruised to her first-ever singles title.
The top-seeded Chan sisters had to rally in the super tiebreak after losing the second set to complete a 6-3, 3-6, 10-6 victory over fourth seeds Kirsten Flipkens and Joanna Larsson in 1 hour, 16 minutes.
The Taiwanese duo won 55 percent of points on their second serve, saved one of four break points and converted three of eight to edge the final, despite the Belgian-Swedish pairing firing down four aces.
Photo: EPA-EFE
It was the Chan sisters’ 15th WTA Tour doubles title and their first as a pairing since the Hong Kong Open in October 2017.
It was also Latisha Chan’s first title since returning from a four-month break due to a disorder of the autonomic nervous system.
The victory sees the Chan sisters head to Melbourne for the first Grand Slam of the season, the Australian Open, in good form.
In the singles, world No. 56 Kenin eased to a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in 1 hour, 11 minutes.
The American saved eight of nine break points and converted six of nine, winning 63 of the 102 points contested to claim her maiden WTA Tour title and improve her career record against Schmiedlova to 2-0 following a victory in New Haven, Connecticut, last year.
“I’m so happy to have gotten this title,” the American said after the match. “It was my first year [here] and I’m looking forward to coming back here for many more years to come.”
It was Kenin’s second title of the year after she partnered with Eugenie Bouchard to the ASB Classic doubles title in Auckland, New Zealand, earlier this month.
The victory will see Kenin’s rise from world No. 56 to No. 37 ahead of the first Grand Slam of the season.
“I feel in great form and I’m really proud of myself,” she told the WTA Web site. “I’m so happy with my start and will try to keep the momentum going.”
It was Schmiedlova’s fifth WTA Tour singles final and only the second she has lost.
“It was really unexpected and I’m extremely happy that I could be in the final,” the Slovakian told the WTA Web site. “While today didn’t go as I hoped it would go, Sofia played really well.”
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft