After what has been a roller-coaster season, Su-Wei Hsieh has ended the year on a high by dismissing Natalia Vikhlyantseva 6-2, 6-2, in the final of the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge in Dubai.
The two-time grand slam doubles champion entered the ITF $100,000 event in search of her first singles title of the season. After what was a shocking start for the tournament, Hsieh was the only seeded player to progress beyond the first round. On her way to the final, she enjoyed wins over Aleksandra Krunic and Mona Barthel.
Awaiting the 30-year-old in the final was Vikhlyantseva, a former top 20 junior player who had already won two ITF titles this season. Despite the talent displayed from the Russian world No.148 this week, she was no challenge for the fifth seed, who clinched the title in exactly 60 minutes.
“I came here looking for as many matches as possible as part of my preparations for the start of the season so that I can get a direct entry at the Australian Open. And here I am winning this tournament and the 150 points that will go a long way in helping me reach my goal,” Hsieh told Gulf News following her win.
Hsieh‘s one-sided win has earned the praise of her rival. Looking at the positives of her time in Dubai, Vikhlyantseva candidly admitted that she had no answers to the questions ask of her by Hsieh in Saturday’s final.
“There was nothing I could really do against her,” the 19-year-old said.
“I tried my best, but she is such a clever player that I found it almost impossible to take some of her returns. I can do nothing much now, but just go on with my preparations for some early tournaments in Australia, most probably the Brisbane Open, before the Australian Open.”
Ending her season with a $100,000 title, Hsieh is set to rise up the WTA rankings to 87th in the world. It is a dream scenario for a player who was contemplating retiring from the sport earlier this year after being hampered by injury problems with both of her ankles.
“I nearly thought of stopping tennis completely. But here I am six months later with this lovely trophy,” she said.
“Suddenly I was feeling very good on the court and the ball was doing very well too. I grew in confidence after each match.”
Hsieh just fell short of achieving the double in Dubai. In the doubles draw she and her partner Valeria Savinykh fell in the final to Mandy Minella and Nina Stojanovic 6-3, 3-6, 10-4.
