Taiwan’s Chan sisters bowed out of the WTA Finals in the semi-finals yesterday, with top seeds Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza booking a spot in their 10th final of the year.
The Swiss-Indian favorites rallied from a break down in the first set to defeat Chan Hao-ching and Chan Yung-jan 6-4, 6-2 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in 1 hour, 23 minutes.
The Taiwanese duo saved five of 11 break points and converted three of five, but it was not enough as the top seeds won 71 of the 126 points contested to advance to today’s final.
Photo: AP
“On the court I feel very fortunate to have Sania on my side because she’s an incredibly positive person,” Hingis told the WTA Tour Web site. “When I get myself down, I’m not really a morning person, so she was out there and kept fighting, and kept keeping me up there. That’s why we were able to come back in the first set.”
“We came out with a strategy against them,” Mirza said. “It’s very different to what we played against players like yesterday, who have more power, different strategy. We kind of have to stick to our guns, stick to what we have planned. We have to trust our abilities. That’s what really takes us through a lot of the times, is that trust in each other’s ability. We know sooner or later we’re going to break.”
Hingis and Mirza face Spanish duo Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro after they defeated Czech pairing Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka 7-6 (8/6), 6-0 in the late semi-final yesterday.
In the singles, Petra Kvitova upset the in-form Maria Sharapova 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) to set up a title match with Agnieszka Radwanska.
Radwanska earlier reached the final when she halted the sensational debut of Spanish world No. 3 Garbine Muguruzu 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-5 at the Indoor Stadium.
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