Doubles Draw Preview
The doubles format has been slightly changed from the previous year, with the Round Robin format being cancelled as they opted for a knockout draw starting from the quarterfinals. In 2015, they opted the Round Robin format for Doubles for the first time ever in the event’s history and that gave the players more chances to excel as they were able to play at least three matches each, rather than the knockout format where the pairs exit the tournament after losing a match.
Draw
Caroline Garcia/Kristina Mladenovic [1] vs Julia Goerges/Karolina Pliskova [8]
Bethanie Mattek-Sands/Lucie Safarova [3] vs Timea Babos/Yaroslava Shvedova [7]
Andrea Hlavackova/Lucie Hradecka [5] vs Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina [4]
Chan Hao-ching/Chan Yung-Jan [6] vs Martina Hingis/Sania Mirza [2]
Hlavckova/Hradecka in Singapore last year. Photo by Getty Images.
Profiles
Caroline Garcia / Kristina Mladenovic [1]
Won: Charleston, Stuttgart, Madrid, Roland Garros
Final: Sydney, Dubai, US Open, Beijing
This was the first year the 2 players played together as a pair, and they managed to reach 8 finals and won 4 of them. They also managed to win their first Grand Slam title together on their home ground and they have a very good chance of progressing deep in the WTA Finals.
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Martina Hingis / Sania Mirza [2]
Won: Brisbane, Sydney, Australian Open, St. Petersburg, Rome
Final: Stuttgart, Madrid
Hingis and Mirza decided to split up as a pair in early August due to some poor results. Hingis partnered with American Coco Vandeweghe, and Mirza partnered with Barbora Strycova. They faced off in the final of their first tournament apart, the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati. Mirza and Strycova won the final, and Mirza managed to keep her number 1 ranking in her sole ownership with that win. The Mirza and Strycova pair managed to achieve more success than the Hingis and Vandeweghe pair during the US Open and the Asian Swing. Mirza and Strycova even managed to be in contention for a WTA Finals spot, but just narrowly lost out after they lost in the opening round of Beijing. Will Hingis and Mirza manage to defend their title? If only they regain their form and manage to play at their best again.
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Bethanie Mattek-Sands / Lucie Safarova [3]
Won: Miami, US Open, Wuhan, Beijing
Final: Charleston
Mattek-Sands had different partners at the start of the year when Safarova decided not to play doubles, but they won their first tournament back together in Miami. They had a run of 3 consecutive titles at the US Open, Wuhan and Beijing and they looked very in form, thus making them the favorites for the title in Singapore.
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Ekaterina Makarova / Elena Vesnina [4]
Won: Montreal, Rio Olympics
Final: Rome, Roland Garros
Makarova and Vesnina only reunited as a pair in Madrid, where they made the semifinals after Makarova decided not to play doubles due to injury concerns. However, they had a 13-match winning streak throughout the US Hardcourt Swing and the Rio Olympics, where they took the gold medal for Russia. They reached at least the quarterfinals of every Grand Slam they played this year, proving that they are a quality pair. They have previously reached the final once in 2013, losing to Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai in a tight 2 setter. They are definitely a pair that has the ability to win the title here in Singapore, but they have been handed a tough draw with them being drawn against Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in the quarterfinals. They will then potentially meet Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza in the semifinals.
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Timea Babos / Yaroslava Shvedova [5]
Final: Miami, Wimbledon
Despite not winning any titles this year, they reached the final of 2 tournaments which were of a higher level. This was the first year that these 2 players paired up as a team, and due to some consistent results throughout the whole year, they managed to qualify for the WTA Finals as the fifth seeds. However, they have suffered from a few disappointing losses in matches that they were expected to win. Nevertheless, this pair has the power and potential to win the tournament too but would come in as the underdogs. They open against Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova in the quarterfinals, and Caroline Garcia/Kristina Mladenovic will be potentially waiting in the semifinals.
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Chan Yung-Jan / Chan Hao-ching [6]
Won: Kaohsiung, Doha, Hong Kong
Final: Eastbourne
The sister pairing played their first full season together and managed to achieve success throughout the whole year. They managed to reach 4 finals and numerous semifinals this year and had the ability to beat their fellow top players at the WTA Finals. They reached the semifinal here last year and have proven that they are a quality pair when they managed to beat Hingis/Mirza, the then number 1 pair in the world, in the 2015 Western and Southern Open. However, they are the underdogs in this tournament and open their account against Hingis/Mirza. It is a tough draw as their potential semifinal opponents are Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, the Olympic gold medalists.
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Andrea Hlavackova / Lucie Hradecka [7]
Won: Quebec City, Moscow
Final: Australian Open
Even though they only reached 3 finals this year, they also reached many semifinals which allowed them to eventually qualify for this tournament. They have proved their ability to beat the best by winning 2 Grand Slam titles previously, and by reaching at least the semifinals in every appearance at the Finals. They are faced with a very tough draw, as they open against the Olympic Gold Medalists Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the quarterfinals, and Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza will be waiting for them in the semifinals.
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Julia Goerges / Karolina Pliskova [8]
Final: Indian Wells
This partnership proved a success after they reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in just their 3rd tournament together. Although they only reached just 1 final in the whole year, however, the pair managed to consistently reach many quarterfinals and semifinals which propelled them to the top 8 of the rankings. They managed to reach 2 Grand Slam semifinals, which is very impressive. This would be the first ever WTA Finals for Goerges and Pliskova, not to mention the Czech is in the singles competition as well.
The Chan sisters at the 2015 WTA Finals. Photo by Getty Images.
Written by Don Han
the third serve 