TENNIS/Hsieh Su-wei returns to top spot in women's doubles after Indian Wells win

Taipei, March 17 (CNA) Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei (謝淑薇) has reclaimed the top spot in the women's tennis doubles ranking after she and her partner Elise Mertens of Belgian defeated their opponents 6-3, 6-4 in the Indian Wells final.

The top-seeded duo, who claimed their first Indian Wells trophy together since 2021, dispatched No. 3 seeds Storm Hunter of Australia and Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic without losing a set on Saturday (Pacific Daylight Time).

"It felt quite special this year, because I hadn't played the tournament for a while, and I was sick since Qatar, so I haven't practiced a lot," the 38-year-old Hsieh said in the winners' media conference.

Hsieh had not played in any tournaments since she and Mertens lost to Czech duo Siniakova and Barbora Krejčíková in November 2021 at the WTA Finals due to injury, until her return last April when she competed at the Madrid Open.

In Indian Wells, Hsieh and Mertens, who defeated Hunter and Siniakova in the semifinals of the Australian Open this year, had their serve broken in the first game on Saturday but managed to break their opponents' serve straight back.

Hsieh and Mertens ended the set after winning 10 straight points.

In the second set, the two pairs remained deadlocked until the ninth game when Hsieh and Mertens broke their opponents' serve again.

Hsieh and Mertens have won two women's doubles titles at Grand Slam tournaments together, including this year's Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2021.

Hsieh also won the mixed doubles title at this year's Australian Open with Polish player Jan Zielinski, becoming Melbourne's first double-doubles champion since Rennae Stubbs in 2000.

The Indian Wells victory was Hsieh's fourth women's doubles title at the competition. She also triumphed in 2014, 2018, and 2021 with different partners.