Shuko Aoyama and Ena Shibahara came back from one set down to beat Bethanie Mattek Sands and Iga Swiatek 3-6 7-6 (7-6) 10-2 after 1 hours and 46 minutes reaching their third final of the 2021 season. They will take on Hayley Carter and Luisa Stefani in the third final between the two teams this year.
Mattek Sands and Swiatek won five consecutive games from 1-3 down to claim the first set 6-3. The Polish and US players rallied from 1-3 down in the second set to pull back on serve at 3-3. Swiatek and Mattek Sands fended off two set points at 5-6. Aoyama and Shibahara earned two set points, as Swiatek fired a groundstroke long in the tie-break. The Japanese team sealed the second set on their first set point 7-6.
Shibahara and Aoyama built up a 9-2 lead in the Match tie-break earning seven match points after a forehand from Shibahara. They converted their first match point, as they forced a wide volley from Swiatek.
“I am so happy to win, because they are really good players. They won in two sets every match, so we focused to move a lot at the net, and then we tried to give them pressure”, said Aoyama.
Earlier this year Aoyama and Shibahara have claimed two titles in Abu Dhabi and at the Yarra Valley Classic in Melbourne and lost to Aryna Sabalenka and Elise Mertens in the quarter final at the Australian Open. The Asian team have won five WTA doubles titles as a team.
“From the very beginning, we had such great chemistry, and we have great communication, so that really helps us in every match”, said Shibahara.
