The Chan sisters advanced to the doubles final at the Taiwan Open in Kaohsiung yesterday, but fellow Taiwanese Hsieh Su-wei’s campaign ended when she crashed out of the semi-finals of the singles.
Top seeds Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-jan defeated unseeded fellow Taiwanese Hsu Ching-wen and Lee Ya-hsuan 6-3, 6-3 on Center Court at the Yang-Ming Tennis Center.
The world Nos. 11 and 10 saved six of seven break points and converted all four they created, winning 57 of the 100 points contested to complete the victory in 65 minutes.
Photo: Huang Chih-yuan, Taipei Times
In today’s final, the Chan sisters face Japanese duo Eri Hozumi and Miyu Kato, who defeated third-seeded Ukrainian sisters Lyudmyla and Nadiia Kichenok 6-1, 2-6, 10-7 in 66 minutes in the second semi-final.
Hozumi and Kato saved three of five break points and converted three of seven, winning 58 of the 107 points contested.
The Chan sisters have a 1-0 career record against the Japanese pairing after a semi-final victory in the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo last year.
“Today Lee Ya-hsuan and Hsu Ching-wen put in a really good performance... I believe there are better results to come,” Chan Yung-jan wrote on Facebook. “Happy to get in to the doubles final tomorrow at the Taiwan Open. First final of 2016, getting exciting about it.”
Earlier, Taiwanese hopes of a home singles victory in the inaugural Taiwan Open quickly disappeared in the first match on Center Court when world No. 81 Hsieh fell to a comprehensive 6-0, 6-2 defeat to second seed Misaki Doi in just 54 minutes.
The Japanese world No. 61 saved the only break point she faced and converted five of eight, winning 61 of the 93 points contested to set up a final against top seed Venus Williams, who defeated third seed Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 7-5, 6-3 in 1 hour, 42 minutes.
The American world No. 12 saved six of nine break points and converted five of eight, winning 81 of the 148 points contested to improve her career record against Putintseva to 3-0, following victories at Wimbledon last year and in Montreal in 2014.
“What a tough opponent today,” Williams told the WTA Web site after the match. “She has so much energy. It was very difficult to win, but I am very glad to be in the final tomorrow.”
Today’s final will be the first time Williams has faced Doi.
“I have never played her before,” Williams said. “I have no idea what to expect, but to be in the final you have to play well, so I am sure to expect the best tennis from her.”
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