Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Sania Mirza of India failed in their bid for a first WTA Tour doubles title together at the Qatar Total Open on Saturday.
The top seeds fell to a 6-4, 6-4 defeat to fourth-seeded American duo Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears in the final on Centre Court in Doha in 1 hour, 18 minutes.
World No. 6 Hsieh and world No. 5 Mirza saved five of 11 break-point chances and converted four of nine, but it was not enough, despite their opponents serving up five double faults.
Photo: EPA
The US pairing edged a tight first set, then fought back from 3-0 and 4-2 down in the second to take their 11th WTA Tour doubles title as a partnership.
“I think we were just trying to stay really focused on our games,” Spears told the WTA Web site. “They’re [Hsieh and Mirza] both really good players, and Su-Wei’s so crafty and unpredictable, so we just wanted to focus on our games and our strengths, and I think we did a very good job of that. Even when we got down in the second set, we regrouped and got pumped up again with a good attitude, and got back to what our focus was.”
“We always just want to improve, but for results, obviously, we want to win a Grand Slam,” Kops-Jones told the WTA Web site. “Singapore’s [the WTA Finals] definitely on our minds too. We got there last year, and we definitely want to get there this year and win it, and if we think week to week, instead of long term, it’ll help us.”
In the singles final, Lucie Safarova beat Victoria Azarenka in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 to clinch the Qatar Open title.
It was Safarova’s sixth career WTA Tour title and her first since Quebec City in 2013.
The Czech snapped Azarenka’s 14-match winning streak in Doha and also foiled the Belarussian’s attempt to clinch a record third Qatar Open title.
“It’s an amazing feeling. I’m really excited and I’ve been working towards this for a long time. I’m happy at the way season has progressed,” said Safarova, who along with Bethanie Mattek-Sands won their first Grand Slam doubles titles at the Australian Open last month.
Contesting their first final of the season, Safarova broke Azarenka in the very first game and asserted her supremacy gradually.
Though Azarenka broke back in the sixth game, Safarova returned the compliment again in the ninth and held her serve in the next to take the first set.
The plot was no different in the second set in which Safarova broke Azarenka twice — in the third and the ninth games — firing seven aces in the match, including three in a row to seal the contest.
Having lost all her six previous encounters to Azarenka, the Wimbledon semi-finalist raised her game to a new level at the Khalifa Tennis Complex in a match which lasted 1 hour, 27 minutes.
“I mean, it’s up there. Obviously, semi-finals at Wimbledon was a very high achievement for me as well. It’s the first premier WTA win of a tournament, so I’m really excited. I think it’s like I’m playing more consistent,” Safarova said.
“My game improved a lot throughout the last couple of years. It took me quite a few years to get to this point. I hope it’s not a finish point and I can still improve that,” added Safarova, who will move four places up to No. 11 when the latest WTA rankings are released today.
For Azarenka, who was playing her first final since Brisbane last year, where she lost to Serena Williams, it was more heartbreak in a match in which she committed 21 unforced errors.
“There’s a been lot of progress this week, a lot of good things happened, a lot of great matches... I’m still really motivated,” Azarenka said.
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