Sania Mirza defeats ex-partner Hingis in cinematic final to win Cincinnati Open
Partners until last month, Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis faced each other for the first time after the split-up in the Cincinnati Open final. Mirza and Barbora Strycova beat Martina Hingis and Coco Vandeweghe 7-5, 6-4 to win the Open as Sania moved into sole first-place atop the doubles rankings.
After having had an incredible successful partnership over 2015 and 2016, where they won 14 titles and 3 Grandslams and went on an almost record-breaking spree, SanTina ran into a title drought over the last few months. After they failed to defend their Wimbledon doubles title, the pair tasted little success off the Grandslam circuit. In the midst of the Olympics, the pair announced that they would end their partnership and compete with other partners in a bid to end the rut. Hingis had ended the Olympics with a Silver, while Sania had returned medal-less.
Facing each other for the first time after that, Hingis and her partner Vandeweghe ran away with the lead in the first set reaching 5-1. But Sania and Strycova fought back and won an incredible six straight points to win the first set 7-5.
Mirza and Strycova won the second set to close out an important title for the 29-year old from Hyderabad. With the win, Sania Mirza has taken the World No. 1 doubles spot for herself which she hitherto had shared with Hingis.
Speaking about the comeback, Mirza said, "The biggest quality we both have that we discovered together, is that we both fight no matter what the score is.”
"During the whole week when we were down we were just fighting. That's how we felt today."
Asked about the situation of having faced her doubles partner until weeks ago, Mirza said that it was not easy.
"I'm not going to lie, it's a very difficult situation. It's not easy because we are still good friends. The first tournament we split and we come and we have to play each other.
"But there is no better match to play than the final, so it was difficult for both of us," she said, reported AFP.
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