Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei is set to rejoin her partner, China’s Peng Shuai, at the top of the WTA Tour world doubles rankings tomorrow after the cross-strait duo rallied in their French Open semi-final on Friday to set up a meeting of the world’s top four doubles players in today’s final.
The top-seeded cross-strait duo are to face second-seeded Italian pairing Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in the final at Roland Garros today after defeating Spanish duo Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro in their semi-final.
Hsieh and Peng were up a set and 3-1 up, before the Spaniards rallied to win the second set and go up 2-1 in the third, but the Taiwanese-Chinese pairing then reeled off five straight winning games for the 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 triumph that avenged a defeat to Muguruza and Suarez Navarro in the Mutua Madrid Open semi-finals last month.
Photo: EPA
Hsieh and Peng created an incredible 23 break-point chances and converted nine of them to reach the final at Roland Garros in Paris.
Second seeds Errani and Vinci had an easier time in their semi. After dropping the first two games against Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic and Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands, they then won nine straight on their way to a convincing 6-2, 6-1 victory.
The Italians have surrendered just four games in their past two matches at Roland Garros and are 16-1 the past three years in Paris, having been champions in 2012 and runners-up last year, and they are 11-0 in Grand Slams this year — having won the Australian Open.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling for us to be in the final at Roland Garros for the third year in a row,” Vinci told the WTA Web site. “We have played a lot of matches in the last few weeks, which is good for our confidence and we are ready for this one. It will be a tough match, for sure.”
“Hsieh and Peng are a very good team with a lot of experience. Even though Sara and I have played a few Grand Slam finals now, we will still be nervous — a Grand Slam final is a Grand Slam final — but we will do our best,” Vinci said.
Hsieh and Peng take a 2-1 record against Errani and Vinci into today’s final, including two straight wins — most recently in Rome last year.
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