(From left) Doubles runner-ups’ Chan Hao Ching of Taiwan and Rika Fujiwara of Japan with champions’ Chuang Chia Jung and partner Chang Kai Cheng of Taiwan at the BMW Malaysian Open at Bukit Kiara Equestrian and Country Resort yesterday. Pic by Supian Ahmad (NST)
TAIWAN duo Chang Kai Chen-Chuang Chia Jung kept their cool to beat fatigued opponents Chan Hao Ching-Rika Fujiwara and clinch the BMW Malaysian Open doubles title at Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Country Resort yesterday.
The Japanese-Taiwanese combination of Rika and Hao Ching, who earlier in the day beat Czech sisters Karolina and Kristyna Pliskova 5-7, 6-2, 11-9 in an absorbing semi-final postponed from the day before due to rain, started the match brightly and immediately broke the Taiwanese pair in the opening game.
They continued to call the shots for the next few games with their more powerful ground-stokes and solid net play but things started to fall apart as fatigue set in.
Kai Chen-Chia Jung, who beat top-seeded Australians Casey Dellacqua-Jarmila Gajdosova 6-4, 6-0 in their semi-final on Saturday, quickly regained their composure and broke Rika-Hao Ching in the eighth game to level the set.
The momentum stayed with the Taiwan pair which saw them subsequently break again in the 12th game to wrap-up the first set 7-5.
The second set saw the third seeded Japan-Taiwan combination lose their composure further in the scorching heat.
Both pairs exchange breaks early in the set and despite Rika-Hao Ching having three break points for a chance to serve for the set in the ninth game they failed to convert.
Their opponents got the decisive break in the next game to seal the match and the title 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 30 minutes.
Kai Chen said she was delighted for them to win their maiden WTA title together in only four tournaments together as a pair.
The title is their second overall, having won their first at an ITF level tournament in Kaohsiung, Taiwan 2010.
"We have had a long week where we had a lot of tough matches and to go on and win the tournament is a great result for us," said Kai Chen.
"They were maybe a little tired but in the beginning of the match they were using a lot of strategies and we had trouble focusing on our own game. We were thinking about them too much.
"We saw them play against the Pliskova sisters and our plan against them was to move well, approach the net more and stay calm when rallying with them.
"Once we managed to settle down things got a lot better and we were able to win the match," added the 21-year-old.
Kai Chen, who will next be competing in the Indian Wells singles qualifiers this week, said the duo would most likely not partner each other again until the European clay-court seasons starts next month.
Kai Chen-Chia Jung, who are only the second Asian pair to win the doubles title at the Malaysian Open since Chan Yung Jan (Tai)-Zheng Jie (Chn) won in 2010, received US$11,000 (RM33,022) for their win while Rika-Hao Ching took home US$5,750 (RM 17,261.50) for their effort.
