Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis, who won the Indian Wells doubles in just their first tournament together, found that it was difficult to switch partners and team up, but they both believe it was the right move.
The current No. 3 doubles team, Mirza and Hingis ended their previous pairings at the end of February. Mirza stopped playing with Hsieh Su-Wei, and Hingis with Flavia Pennetta.
Mirza decided to play with Hsieh in January, but by February felt it wasn't a match. "I started with Su-Wei and we made a final and a semis. I didn't feel like we had that chemistry," Mirza said. "One, most importantly, she was playing the wrong side. She had to move sides. I didn't want to move, even though in Doha I played the backhand side and we made the finals. That's why the decision was made to split."
On her new partnership with Hingis, Mirza said, "Coming to [Hingis], she's obviously one of the best players out there, and most importantly one of the best people who can complement the way I play. She's got amazing—probably one of the best hands in the world at the net. I need someone who can finish the balls off where I set them up."
Hingis, who won five Grand Slam singles titles, has played doubles full-time since 2007. The 34-year-old played well with Pennetta in the fall, but the Italian has focused more on her singles career in 2015.
''It is such a tough decision obviously,'' Hingis said. "You always hope that you're going to start the way the way you finished it. [Pennetta and I] made finals, won a couple of events, but sometimes it's like the finish line—our doubles matches, it was always like at the limit. We won tournaments, but it was like huffing and puffing every time. She played awesome in the U.S. Open. That was our best tournament. That's why it was so hard to take that decision. But we didn't go past the third round in any tournaments [this season]... For her it's also singles priority, which I have to respect."
Mirza has won three mixed doubles Grand Slam titles, but she has yet to win a Grand Slam doubles title. Hingis has won eight Grand Slam doubles titles. The Indian said her dreams are to "win a women's doubles Grand Slam and other is get to No. 1. I'm happy the way I have been playing."