The best doubles team in the world cemented their status at the top of women’s tennis as Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza powered past the dangerous sister act of Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan, defeating the sisters 6-4, 6-2 at the 2015 WTA Finals. As a result, the Swiss-Indian duo booked their place in an unprecedented tenth final of the season. Hingis and Mirza have already secured the year end number one doubles team ranking, and will be looking to claim their ninth title of the season, as they face the talented Spanish team of Garbiñe Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro.

Coming Into Another Clash Between Hingis/Mirza and the Chans

Coming into this match, the two teams had already met an astounding five times in the last three months, with their last meeting coming at the China Open in Beijing less than two weeks ago — where Hingis and Mirza won in three sets. The world number ones have played the sister act at nearly every tournament since Wimbledon. The two teams faced one another at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati, the US Open, the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open in Wuhan, as well as the China Open.

Before this semifinal encounter, Hingis and Mirza led the head-to-head 4-1, with their sole defeat to the Chans coming in Cincinnati, which was the last match the Swiss-Indian duo had lost before beginning their incredible 20-match winning streak. The sisters from Chinese Taipei have always proved to be a big challenge for the world number ones. The Chans can match Hingis and Mirza from the baseline and in the forecourt when they’re at their best, and their aggressive playing styles seem to compliment each other nicely. Having played five times in three months, Hingis and Mirza were well-aware of the dangers that the Chans presented, and we're ready to do battle in front of an enthusiastic Singaporean crowd.

Hingis and Mirza Battle Back From A Break Down to Take Opening Set

After exchanging holds, it were the sisters from Chinese Taipei who were able to apply the most pressure when receiving in the opening stages of this encounter. In a long game that lasted seven deuces, the Chans were able to break first, thanks to some deep hitting and aggressive poach volleys. Now leading 2-1, the sisters continued to impress, holding to 30 to consolidate the early break. Moments later, Hingis and Mirza answered with a hold of their own to keep the deficit to just one break. En route to holding serve in the fifth game, the Indian hit this brilliant forehand lob that left the Chans flat-footed.

That hold of serve proved to be crucial as the world number ones were beginning to build momentum, breaking in the following game to level the opening set at three-games-all. From there, both teams held for the next three games until Hingis and Mirza began to show their experience and class, which was ultimately the deciding factor in the first set. After some uncharacteristic unforced errors from Chan Yung-Jan, the number one seeds were able to give themselves two set points, which they took at the first time of asking to go a set clear in this semifinal match.

Dominant Display From Hingis and Mirza in Set Number Two

In the first four games of the second set, Hingis and Mirza continued the momentum they had accumulated in the opening set to go up a 4-0 lead. At this point in the match, they looked like they were a different team compared to the one in the opening set, as they had upped their level considerably to go up a double break and they were also able to produce shots like this.

.@MirzaSania on