TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwanese tennis star Hsieh Su-wei (謝淑薇) and Latvian partner Jelena Ostapenko advanced to the Australian Open women's doubles round of 32 on Wednesday (Jan. 21). The third-seeded pair defeated American Desirae Krawczyk and Australian Olivia Gadecki 7-5, 6-2 in straight sets at Melbourne Park. Hsieh, a two-time Australian Open doubles finalist, continues her pursuit of a third consecutive final appearance at the season's first Grand Slam tournament.
Both teams exchanged service breaks through the first 10 games in a competitive opening set. Hsieh and Ostapenko earned two break points at 40-15 in the pivotal 11th game and won the set by holding serve. Ostapenko competed despite an injury sustained in a singles match on Jan. 13, demonstrating a strong recovery.
Hsieh and Ostapenko dominated the second set, breaking their opponents' serve twice in the first seven games to build a 5-2 lead. They clinched victory on their third match point after their opponents leveled the score three times in the decisive eighth game. Hsieh won the 2024 Australian Open doubles title with Belgium's Elise Mertens and finished as runner-up with Ostapenko last year. ◼