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This is the first win for Makarova/Vesnina over Mirza/Hingis. Their most memorable match was in the final of 2015 Wimbledon where Team Santina came back from behind in the third set to win the title.
Mirza/Hingis's title defense IS OVER!! Makarova/Vesnina win 3-6, 6-2, 10-6
Mirza misses a volley to face match points at 6-9
The Russians concede one point for 8-5. Hingis finds her magic backhand to close the gap to 6-8
Team Santina's routine shots are now filled with errors. What a contrast from the first set!
Makarova/Vesnina now extend the lead to 8-4.
Makarova falters to give the mini-break back. 3-4. Then they erase that setback to get the lead back for 6-3
The Russians take a 4-2 lead
Tremendous intensity from Vesnina to go for a smash and make it 3-2.
Mirza-Hingis surge to 2-1 but Hingis's shot lands wide. 2-2
*indoor stadium
There will be some time before the match tie-break can begin because it is raining right now in Singapore. Some of the rain drops have found their way on to the court despite this being an indoor court!
Makarova/Vesnina take second set 6-2 - Time for the perfectionist Hingis to throw her racquet to the ground. Team Santina just continue to miss the lines. Right at that moment, Mirza wields her magic hands for a backhand lob and that galvanizes their comeback in that game as they force a deuce.
But Hingis squanders a break point by dumping her shot into the net. Makarova promptly earns a set point. They ball clips over the net and rolls over to Team Santina's part of the court! Even the net is Russian!!
Makarova/Vesnina hold for 5-2 - But it is a different challenge altogether to stop the confident Russians' march. They inch closer to forcing a match tie-break.
Mirza/Hingis hold for 2-4 - Imran's words apparently have done a world of good to his daughter, Sania. She holds comfortably to 15.
Sania's father and coach, Imran Mirza came to speak a few words and pacify his daughter. Will it help in making a turnaround? Mirza serves now.
Makarova/Vesnina hold for 4-1 - Mirza slams her racquet angrily on the court and promptly gets a code violation for racquet abuse. They just cannot get their game going anymore!
Makarova/Vesnina break for 3-1 - Somehow Mirza and Hingis just cannot find their sublime game anymore. They keep on fluffing the lines and the spark seems to be missing now. Santina get broken again.
Mirza/Hingis break for 1-2 - The Russians will rue their missed chances! A sloppy service game from Makarova was what they just did not need at this point. And that is exactly what happened as they gift a service break to Team Santina.
Makarova/Vesnina break for 2-0 - Suddenly, the Russians find some extra firepower mainly due to Vesnina's improved netplay and Makarova's superb play from the baseline and they break!
Makarova/Vesnina hold for 1-0 - Makarova and Vesnina were under pressure right from the start of the second set. They faced a break point at 30-40 but Mirza missed a volley and the game went to deuce. Santina get their 12th break point of the match but could not convert it.
Vesnina's backhand found the net on game point and the game went to deuce again. The Russians, however, find a way to hold serve with assistance from Hingis' error.
Mirza/Hingis take first set 6-3 - Vesnina continues to make mistakes at the net and Team Santina now takes the first set.
Makarova/Vesnina hold for 3-5 - As always, Hingis' blocking skills at the net and her backhand are sublime. Team Santina rides on the Hingis finesse to get hold of two break points. The Russian spruce up their games to save both. And Makarova grabs a game point on her serve but Vesnina fumbles at the net to squander it.
A long backhand-to-backhand rally ensues between Makarova and Hingis where the Russian comes out on top. And they clinch the game.
Makarova/Vesnina break for 2-5 - Hingis could not serve out the set and the Russians get back one of the breaks.
Mirza/Hingis break for 5-1 - The Russians continue to struggle and Vesnina's serve is broken to love.
Mirza/Hingis hold for 4-1 - Team Santina now comfortably holds serve to widen the gap.
Mirza/Hingis break for 3-1 - The Russians dig their own grave as they let go of a great opportunity. Makarova's serve was under pressure from the start and they went down down two break points. They could save one but not the second one.
Makarova/Vesnina break for 1-2 - It's a massive letdown for Mirza and Hingis as they cannot consolidate the break. The set is back on serve.
Mirza/Hingis break for 2-0 - Hingis' excellent play in the forecourt forced errors from Makarova/Vesnina who conceded two break points. Right at that moment, Makarova stepped up to save both of them. The relentless Santina carved out another break point but Mirza missed her lob but rebounded to set up another break point. Vesnina saved it with an ace.
Vesnina's forehand found the net and they conceded yet another break point. Some great rallies follow and Santina emerge with the breakthrough.
Mirza/Hingis 1-0 - The Russians closed in to make it 30-30 but Vesnina missed a crucial volley after that. That emboldened Team Santina as they held for 1-0.
The players have arrived on court and Team Santina has already won the toss. The match is about to begin soon.
It would not be an easy encounter for Santina as the Russians are two-time Grand Slam winners themselves and are the reigning Olympic champions as well.
Good evening and welcome to the livescore and commentary of the semi-finals of the WTA Finals 2016. Second seeds Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis, who briefly split this year, reunited to defend their WTA Finals title that they won last year.
And it was no less than a victory in their first outing after two months apart as Team 'Santina' registered a 7-6(10), 7-5 win over the Chinese Taipei pair of Hao-Ching Chan and Yung-Jan Chan to progress into the semis.
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That's it, folks. Thanks for joining us. Hope you enjoyed our coverage. Good night.