Hsieh Su-wei on Thursday followed up her giant-killing heroics in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships singles by advancing to the semi-finals of the doubles, where she was facing a showdown against fellow Taiwanese Chan Hao-ching and Latisha Chan.
Third seeds Hsieh and Barbora Strycova defeated eighth seeds Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany and Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the doubles in 68 minutes.
The Taiwanese-Czech duo saved one of three break points and converted five of 13, winning 57 percent of their first-return points to advance to a semi-final against the ninth-seeded Chan sisters, who needed 1 hour, 26 minutes to see of the challenge of Darija Jurak of Croatia and Raluca Olaru of Romania 6-4, 7-5 in their quarter-final.
Photo: AP
The Chan sisters saved five of eight break points and converted five of 11, winning 78 percent of points on their first service to set up the Taiwanese showdown.
Hsieh and Strycova have a 1-0 career record against the Chan sisters after their round-of-16 victory in Indian Wells, California, last year, their only previous meeting on the WTA Tour.
In the quarter-finals of the singles, Belinda Bencic shocked former world No. 1 Simona Halep 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals, her second successive giant-killing act of the tournament.
World No. 56 Bencic followed up her third-round knockout of world No. 9 Aryna Sabalenka, where she saved six match points, with her two-and-a-quarter-hour win over 2015 champion Halep.
Former world No. 7 Bencic was next due to face two-time champion Elina Svitolina, who defeated Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 6-3.
“I fought and stayed in the match. I’m happy I didn’t give up. I didn’t give her any free points. I was still there,” said Swiss star Bencic, whose career has been blighted by a series of back and wrist injuries. “I’m just really happy that I’m back. I knew it was still in me, even after the injuries. I had to work my way back, I’m happy that I could finally show it.”
Bencic broke the Halep serve seven times, while losing her own on five occasions.
Bencic profited from a break for a 5-2 lead in the final set, but needed three chances a game later to close out the victory as Halep drove a forehand long.
Halep, the losing finalist last week in Doha to Elise Mertens, said she was feeling tired throughout.
“I was tired. After the second set, I felt like I’m getting cramping a little bit. It’s normal. I was sweating a lot,” Halep said. “She played very well and in the end, was a little bit stronger.”
The Romanian added that she also started to feel her Achilles tendon, which affected her serve.
“I felt it the last match a little bit, but there are no excuses, just the fact that I’m tired,” she said.
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