Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and partner Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia yesterday advanced to the women’s doubles final at the Australian Open after defeating New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe and Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada 7-6 (7/3), 3-6, 6-3 in their semi-final.
Hsieh has won nine Grand Slam doubles titles and has a shot at a 10th tomorrow, when the Latvian-Taiwanese duo are to play Taylor Townsend of the US and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic in the championship match at the A$96.5 million (US$61 million) outdoor hard court tournament at Melbourne Park.
Townsend and Siniakova eliminated Russian pair Diana Shnaider and Mirra Andreeva 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-3 in yesterday’s other semi.
Photo: AP
Hsieh — who won the mixed and women’s doubles finals at the Australian Open last year — said after the game that she is ready for the decider.
She claimed last year’s women’s doubles title alongside Belgian Elise Mertens, while Jan Zielinski of Poland was her partner in the mixed doubles.
In yesterday’s match, Hsieh and Ostapenko had to adjust their rhythm after being broken in the first two games.
Photo: AP
The reset worked and they won the first set in a tiebreaker after surviving three game points.
They dropped the second set, but dominated in the third after breaking their opponents in the second game.
In the mixed doubles final, John Peers and Olivia Gadecki defeated John-Patrick Smith and Kimberly Birrell 3-6, 6-4, 10-6 in an all-Australian affair.
Photo: EPA-EFE
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