Sania-Hingis pair equals record, enters Sydney semis

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis on Wednesday equalled the record for the longest women’s doubles winning streak by advancing to the WTA Sydney International semifinals with a straight set triumph here.

Top seeds Mirza and Hingis got the better of China’s Chen Liang and Shuai Peng 6-2 6-3 in less than an hour to enter the last-four stage and remain on course for a second successive title this year.

With on Wednesday’s win, Mirza and Hingis won their 28th consecutive match to equal the record set by Puerto Rican Gigi Fernandez and Belarus’ Natasha Zvereva in 1994. Starting last year, Mirza and Hingis have won 10 WTA doubles titles together -- Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Wimbledon, US Open, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Beijing and WTA Finals in 2015, and last week’s Brisbane International.

In a totally lop-sided contest on Wednesday, Mirza and Hingis broke their rivals twice and saved one on their own serve to pocket the opening set with ease.

Liang and Peng’s weak serve ensured that the second set followed a similar course. The Indo-Swiss combine frittered away seven chances but converted two, which was enough to give them the set and the match without breaking much sweat.

Mirza and Hingis will next be up against the winners of the match between Timea Babos and Katarina Srebotnik and Raluca Olaru and Yaroslava Shvedova.