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WTT Washington Kastles

Martina Hingis Wins BNP Paribas Open, Rises to No. 5

March 24, 2015 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Washington Kastles News Release


If the BNP Paribas Open is any indication, Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza could quickly become the greatest women's doubles team in the world.

Two days after World No. 1s Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci ended their partnership, Hingis and Mirza captured the Indian Wells title in their first event as a team.

The debutantes defeated US Open champions Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 6-3, 6-4 in Saturday's final, helping Mirza rise to No. 3 and Hingis to No. 5 in the latest WTA Doubles Rankings.

Hingis and Mirza flip-flopped partners with Flavia Pennetta and Su-Wei Hsieh after the teams of Hingis/Pennetta and Mirza/Hsieh failed to win a title in four appearances this season.

While Pennetta and Hsieh lost in the opening round at Indian Wells, Hingis and Mirza held their opponents to four games or less in all 10 sets that they played.

"That's what we are hoping for, definitely," Hingis said during a post-tournament press conference. "She hits a big forehand, especially on the right side, and I was able to move and finish off the point. She prepares; I finish... It worked out great. I'm very happy that we made this move."

Hingis is at her best when she's returning from the ad side of the court, a role that she fills with Leander Paes and Anastasia Rodionova during Kastles season.

Paes' countrywoman Mirza has long possessed one of the strongest forehands in the world, which makes her a major threat when returning from the deuce court.

Put the two together, and the results through five matches speak for themselves.

"She's obviously one of the best players out there, and most importantly, one of the best people who can complement the way I play," said Mirza. "She's got probably the best hands in the world at the net. For me, I need that. I need someone who can finish the balls off where I set them up."

Seeded No. 1 in Indian Wells, Hingis and Mirza stormed through the draw. Following a 6-2, 6-1 first-round win, they defeated Hingis' ex-protégé Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and 2013 Kastles substitute Alla Kudryavtseva 6-3, 6-2.

In the quarterfinals, the Swiss-Indo pair beat Hingis' former partner Daniela Hantuchova and Karin Knapp 6-4, 6-2. That set Hingis and Mirza up in the semifinals against two-time Grand Slam champions Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur.

With 20 WTA doubles titles overall, Raymond and Stosur held a clear edge in experience. But all it took was 56 minutes for Hingis and Mirza to rout them 6-0, 6-4.

The final featured familiar faces on the other side of the net from Hingis. She and Sabine Lisicki beat Makarova and Vesnina to win the Miami Open last spring, but the Russians rebounded for a three-set win over Hingis and Pennetta in the US Open final.

For a brief moment, it appeared that Saturday's championship match would go the distance as well. After Hingis and Mirza took the first set, Makarova and Vesnina opened up a 4-2 lead in the second. But Hingis and Mirza capped their dream debut by rallying to win the final four games.

Hingis is back inside the Top 5 for the first time since the week of Aug. 13, 2001. With the breakup of Errani and Vinci and the inactivity of fourth-ranked Cara Black, Mirza and Hingis both have a great opportunity to reach the top of the rankings.

Though she trails Mirza by 770 points at the moment, Hingis only has 436 points to defend during the upcoming stretch of tournaments on clay and grass courts. Mirza, on the other hand, has 1,835 points to defend.

"I have something to prove," said Hingis, who was last ranked No. 1 in 2000. "Not even just to be out there, but also I want to win."

Members of the 2015 Kastles roster have now won seven titles on tour this season. Single-match Kastles tickets go on sale this spring, but in the meantime, you can secure season tickets to see Hingis, Paes, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams .

A limited number of four-seat VIP tables and boxes are available, as well as individual seats with spectacular views in the Baseline Experience and Baseline Club. Season tickets start at $150 and can be purchased by calling 202-4-TENNIS (483-6647).

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