AP
NEW YORK, September 7
Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina won their second Grand Slam women’s doubles title, ending Martina Hingis’ run at the US Open.
The fourth-seeded Russians rallied after losing the first set to beat Hingis and Flavia Pennetta 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday night.
“Definitely, it was so amazing,” Makarova said. “I’m just so happy. It was a great two weeks for me.”
Hingis and Pennetta thought they had broken to get the final set back on serve at 3-3, but the Russians challenged a shot that had been called a winner and the ball was shown to be out by a millimeter.
Makarova and Vesnina saved three break points to hold and then won the next two games to clinch the championship.
Playing doubles in her latest comeback from retirement, the 33-year-old Hingis was in her first major final since the 2002 Australian Open. She has won nine Grand Slam doubles titles to go with her five major singles championships.
“It was an incredible journey,” she said.
Hingis returned to competition last year but lost in the first round of the 2013 US Open with Daniela Hantuchova and this summer’s Wimbledon with Vera Zvonareva. She and Pennetta had played in three tournaments together leading up to the US Open.
Makarova and Vesnina also won the 2013 French Open. Makarova was routed by No. 1 Serena Williams 6-1, 6-3 on Friday in her first major singles semifinal. She and Vesnina beat Williams and her sister Venus in the quarterfinals in doubles.
Vesnina said she ran into Serena Williams in the locker room Saturday morning and the 13-time major doubles champion asked if she was playing in the final that day.
“She looked straight at me in my eyes – she’s like, ‘Go for it, because you really deserve it,”‘ Vesnina said, still a bit in awe.
