Two to Tango, Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis on a Roll With A Pair of Grand Slam Titles
Having only joined forces in March, Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis have enjoyed a successful partnership reaching six finals in 12 events and winning two majors.
Top seeds Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza beat Casey Dellacqua and Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3 6-3 to win the U.S. Open doubles title on Sunday and cap off a perfect visit to Flushing Meadows.
Switzerland's Hingis, the former singles world number one and her Indian partner Sania, tore through the doubles tournament without dropping a set to claim back-to-back grand slams after their victory at Wimbledon.
It has been a productive and busy visit to New York for Hingis who also captured the U.S. Open mixed doubles title with India's Leander Paes.
Having only joined forces in March, Sania and Hingis have enjoyed a successful partnership reaching six finals in 12 events and winning two majors.
"We started playing in March, obviously in America, and we won three out of three. That rarely happens," said Sania. "We hit it off and obviously we have become more friends now.
"I think we trust each other on and off the court. I think that helps us through a lot of tough moments on the court.
"Obviously our games match, kind of complement each other, you know, with her at the net and from me at the back. I think that's the best combination." (Match Highlights | Pictures)
For Hingis it was her second U.S. Open doubles title coming 17-years after she won her first in 1998 with Jana Novotna.
"I won the doubles in '98, and that was like finishing off the Grand Slam," recalled Hingis. "I won all four in that same year. It was just like incredible.
"We all felt like there was a little bit of nervousness, definitely, especially today because... it's been a while.
"I know I have the support and the trust that I have for her (Sania) shots and for her game. It's even building up every time we step out together."
Sania and Hingis did not drop a set in becoming the first top-seeded duo to win the US Open women's doubles title since Cara Black and Liezel Huber won the 2008 crown.
It was the 11th career Grand Slam doubles title for Hingis, 34, who has won four Australian Opens (1997, 1998, 1999, 2002), two French Opens (1998, 2000), three at Wimbledon (1996, 1998, 2015) and two on the New York hardcourts in 1998 with Novotna and this year.
On Sunday night, Hingis, who hit a backhand volley winner to break for the win after 70 minutes, won 14 matches in-a-row when she began playing alongside Sania in March, taking titles at Indian Wells, Miami and Charleston before the streak ended in the Rome final.
(With agency inputs)