Sania Mirza marks return with doubles title at Hobart International

Mirza and Kichenok registered a comfortable 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Peng and Zhang in one hour and 21 minutes to achieve the glory.

Image Credits: Twitter/@WTA

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and her Ukrainian opponent Nadiia Kichenok produced yet another terrific performance as they swept aside the Chinese pair of  Peng Shuai and Zhang Shuai in straight sets to clinch the women's doubles title at Hobart International on Saturday.

Mirza and Kichenok were dominant throughout the one-sided summit showdown of the tournament as they registered a comfortable 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Peng and Zhang in one hour and 21 minutes to achieve the glory. 

In the opening set, the Indo-Ukranian duo was the one to make the breakthrough first. They sealed the last three games of the opener as well as eight of the last 10 points to clinch the set. 

Mirza and Kichenok continued their momentum in the second set as well as they won first three games to take an early 3-0 lead against their opponent before the 33-year-old Indian saw her serve broken twice to help Peng and Zhang restore parity at 4-4.

The Indo-Ukranian pair ended the final clash with their fifth break of the match before  Kichenok served out the match to eventually emerge victorious. 

With the win, Mirza has successfully made a winning return to the professional tennis circuit after childbirth. It is the Indian tennis star's first victory in two years and 42nd doubles career title.

Kichenok, on the other hand, clinched her fifth title and first since joining forces with her twin sister, Lyudmyla, at the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai in 2018.

On Friday, Mirza and Kichenok had defeated the Slovenian team of Tamara Zidanšek and Marie Bouzková 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 in a thrilling semi-final clash of the women's doubles event of the Hobart International to book their place in the final.