Taiwan’s Chan sisters are to contest two of the finals at the US Open in New York after Chan Yung-jan and Martina Hingis on Friday advanced to the final of the women’s doubles, while younger sister Chan Hao-ching and Michael Venus claimed a berth in the mixed doubles final.
Second seeds Chan and Hingis ousted fourth seeds Sania Mirza of India and Peng Shuai of China 6-4, 6-4 in 1 hour, 27 minutes on Grandstand Court at Flushing Meadows.
The Taiwanese-Swiss duo saved eight of 10 break points and converted four of seven, hitting 44 winners to set up a final against seventh seeds Lucie Hradecka and Katerina Siniakova, who upset fellow Czechs and third seeds Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova 6-2, 7-5 in 1 hour, 33 minutes.
Photo: AP
“It was a tough one,” Hradecka told the WTA Web site. “It’s never easy in the semis or even the first round to play fellow Czechs, but I think we’re happy to make it through in two sets because the second set we lost momentum. Maybe that was my mistake because I called the physio after the first set. That might have made us less awake and caused a few mistakes.”
Chan and Hingis claimed their first title as a pairing when they defeated the Czech duo in the BNP Paribas Open final in Indian Wells, California, in March and Hradecka was looking for revenge.
“It will be a tough match, but we know each other and we’ve played well in all the matches we’ve played against them,” Hradecka said. “We might not have finished them as well, so I think we’ll be even more hungry to win on Sunday.”
In the mixed doubles semi-finals, Chan Hao-ching and Venus took 1 hour, 11 minutes to see off Anastasia Rodionova of Australia and Oliver Marach of Austria 6-1, 7-6 (8/6).
The third seeds saved three of six break points and won five of 10, hitting 32 winners to set up a final against top seeds and reigning Wimbledon champions Hingis and Jamie Murray of Britain, who ousted Coco Vanderweghe of the US and Horia Tecau of Romania 6-4, 7-6 (10/8) in 1 hour, 30 minutes.
“I told Jamie he carried me pretty much throughout the match for a set and a half. I got broken [at 4-3 in the second set] and said: ‘Maybe it’s really time to play now.’ He did great,” Hingis told the tournament Web site. “There’s nothing nicer than actually fighting to be in the final, so I’m pretty happy we managed to get through.”
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