New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Strycova, Sestini Hlavackova take doubles title
NEW HAVEN — Barbora Strycova has shared a court with Su-Wei Hsieh in the doubles finals of two tournaments this year.
The first time, they shared the same side of the court — and won. On Saturday, they were facing each other from opposite sides.
Strycova partnered with fellow Czech native Andrea Sestini Hlavackova to defeat Hsieh and Germany’s Laura Siegemund, 6-4, 6-7, 10-4 and capture the Connecticut Open doubles title.
It’s the first title for the pair, who just started playing together earlier this season. They finished runner-up at Rome and advanced to the semifinals in three other tournaments.
“It came at the best time,” said Sestini Hlavackova. “Our play, other than on clay courts, wasn’t that great. I’m so happy how it worked out int he finals, because it could have gone either way — in the semis or the finals.”
Sestini Hlavackova has now won 26 times in doubles, including six times last year (five with Timea Babos, once with Peng Shuai). For Strycova, it’s the 22nd doubles title of her career and the second this season. The first came at Indian Wells in March, partnered with Hsieh.
“It was really random,” Strycova recalled. “I was set up with somebody else, and at the last minute, we said, ‘Ok, let’s play together,’ because she didn’t have anyone. She’s such a great player, first of all, and she’s such a nice girl. To play against her, I don’t like it so much. She’s such a tricky one, and she can put every ball back. But we kind of found a way today, and I’m very happy — because it’s not easy.”
Despite that victory, Strycova never thought about partnering with Hsieh again.
“I was already there!” Sestini Hlavackova pointed out.
Indeed, Sestini Hlavackova lost her playing partner earlier this season and went looking for another.
“Barbora was up for playing with me, and we kind of started in Madrid and said we’d go for it for a full season, we’ll see how it goes,” she recalled. “We try to have fun, try to win the big titles. This is our first title, and it’s such a good feeling.”
The two will pair up at the U.S. Open this week.
“For us, it wasn’t so much about tennis,” Strycova added. “It was more about being together on the court. It’s more mental than tennis. We did it very well in three matches. We improved on that, and this is the result. We still have to work on that, but we’re in a good way.”