No winning sign-off for Peng-Hsieh

SINGAPORE — The perfect ending to their seven-year partnership would have been Hsieh Su-wei and Peng Shuai lifting the Martina Navratilova Trophy yesterday.

Instead, the World No 2 Taiwan-China pair were left shell-shocked after a tame 6-1, 6-0 loss to third-seeded Cara Black and Sania Mirza in the doubles title decider at the 2014 BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore.

Winners of 12 WTA titles, including Wimbledon last year and the 2014 French Open, Hsieh and Peng were favoured to defend their title won last year in Istanbul, having cruised through the quarterfinal and semis without dropping a set.

But Zimbabwean Black and India’s Sania — the latter will link up with Hsieh next season — stamped their dominance from the get-go. Black’s nifty work at the net, coupled with a flawless performance from Sania saw them convert three break points in the first set before handing their opponents a bagel for the win.

Said Sania, 27, of her first WTA Finals title: “We saved the best for the last. We’ve played together I think almost all year. One of our best match at least, and one of our best matches we played against them.”

The Indian player, who retired from singles last year after three surgeries on her knee and wrist, added: “Sometimes you’ve got to listen to nature. But this just proves that it was the right decision for me.

“I had to readjust my goals and have new goals, and one of them was obviously to try and win slam, in doubles try and get to No 1 and obviously try and win the WTA Championships. Achieved one of those goals, and I’m close enough close enough to being No 1 now.”

Added Black, now a three-time year-ender winner: “I think we started really well and that put the pressure on them ... Peng Shuai, I think that’s not the best match she’s played against us. She usually serves a lot more, you know, consistently, a lot more power. It’s always been tough to break her.

“But we came out and didn’t give them any free points. I think it’s the first time we also played them on a bit of a faster surface, which helped us as well.” LOW LIN FHOONG