The World No. 1 doubles pair of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis added to their long, growing list of laurels today as they won their 28th consecutive match, equaling the earlier longest streak, set by the Puerto Rican-Belarussian pair of Gigi Fernandez and Natasha Zvereva.
They have now progressed to the semifinals of the Apia International in Sydney. The all-time record for a winning streak in women’s doubles was set by the Czech pair of Jana Novotna and Helena Sukova, who won 44 matches on the trot.
The Indo-Swiss pair today took a convincing victory over the Chinese pairing of Chen Liang and Shuai Peng, beating them 6-2, 6-3 in the quarter-finals of the Apia International tournament in Sydney ahead of the year-opening Grand Slam, the Australian Open, which commences in Melbourne on the 18th of January.
The streak set by Fernandez and Zvereva has remained unbroken since it was set over 20 years ago, and the pair are considered one of the greatest in women’s doubles tennis. They are the second most successful doubles pairing after that of Pam Shriver and her partner, the legendary Martina Navratilova, who is one of a handful of players who have had a long reign as No. 1 in both singles and doubles.
Together, Fernandez and Zvereva won 14 Grand Slam titles, with each of them winning more with other doubles partners as well.
Hingis and Mirza are on track to become one of doubles tennis’ most prolific pairs themselves, and after ending 2015 at the top of the rankings, have already won their first title of 2016 at the Brisbane International – their sixth title in a row.
En route to their victory over Liang and Peng, Mirza and Hingis made short work of the Rodionova sisters, beating them in straight sets as well.
