In a stunning comeback after a 2-year-long maternity break from tennis, Sania Mirza claim the WTA Hobart International doubles title along with her partner Nadiia Kichenok 6-4, 6-4 defeating No.2 seeds China duos Peng Shuai and Zhang Shuai.
It is Mirza’s first WTA title in just over two years and 42nd of her storied doubles career, while Kichenok wins her fifth, and first since partnering her twin sister, Lyudmyla, to win the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai in 2018.
The Indian star last won a trophy alongside Bethanie Mattek-Sands at the Brisbane International in the first week of the 2017 season, one of three doubles finals she reached that year before announcing her pregnancy in April of 2018.
Kichenok and Mirza were the first to break in each set, but ultimately needed to wrap up the match by delivering the deciding breaks late. The unseeded duo won the last three games of the opener, and eight of the last 10 points to seal victory, having nearly seen a double-break advantage slip away.
Though the duo won six straight games from 3-4 in the opener to lead 6-4, 3-0, Mirza was the one who saw her serve broken twice as the No.2 seeds from China eventually restored parity at 4-4.
Nonetheless, the unseeded pair finished the match off in style with their fifth break of the match, before the Ukrainian served out the match and the victory for the team. Sania and Nadiia split USD 13580 as prize money and earned 280 ranking points each for their winning effort.
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