Hsieh/Mertens vs. Hunter/Siniakova : Tactical Superiority + Shot-Making Brilliance

The 2024 BNP Paribas Open women’s doubles final featured a high-stakes rematch between two formidable pairs: top seeds Hsieh Su-Wei & Elise Mertens and No. 3 seeds Storm Hunter & Katerina Siniakova. The encounter was a tactical battle between experience and aggression, with Hsieh and Mertens ultimately prevailing 6-3, 6-4 to claim their second Indian Wells title as a team . Below is a detailed breakdown of the match dynamics.

Key Match Insights
1. Tactical Superiority & Shotmaking Brilliance
Hsieh and Mertens showcased their versatility and chemistry, leveraging Hsieh’s unorthodox shotmaking and Mertens’ consistency.
Hsieh’s wizardry: Known for her unpredictable angles and two-handed strokes, Hsieh delivered crucial winners, including a spectacular backhand pass at 15-30 in the second set that shifted momentum.
Mertens’ stability: Her solid baseline play and net presence minimized errors, allowing the pair to dominate rallies. They lost only one service game in the match.

Hunter and Siniakova, while aggressive, struggled with unforced errors at key moments, particularly on Hunter’s missed forehand volley at 0-15 in the first set.

2. Serve & Return Dominance
First-set control: After an early exchange of breaks, Hsieh/Mertens broke Siniakova at love (5-3) with a clean backhand winner from Mertens, then held serve comfortably.
Second-set pressure: The decisive break came at 4-4, where Hsieh’s backhand winner set up break points, and Mertens’ lob winner sealed the game.

Hunter/Siniakova, despite strong serving in Dubai (where they won earlier in 2024), couldn’t replicate that consistency under pressure.

3. Mental Resilience & Experience
Hsieh/Mertens had previously defeated Hunter/Siniakova in the 2024 Australian Open semifinals (7-5, 1-6, 6-3), giving them a psychological edge.
Hsieh’s calm under pressure was evident—despite being ill before the tournament, she played with precision, later joking, "Only one amazing shot...?" when complimented.

Hunter, in her first Indian Wells final, and Siniakova, the defending champion (with Krejcikova in 2023), couldn’t sustain their early aggression.

Reasons why Hsieh & Mertens
1. Superior teamwork – Their prior success (including the 2024 Australian Open title) gave them synergy .
2. Clutch shotmaking – Hsieh’s creativity and Mertens’ consistency broke down Hunter/Siniakova’s defenses .
3. Big-match experience – Both are former World No. 1s, while Hunter/Siniakova were still building chemistry .

This victory marked Hsieh’s fourth Indian Wells doubles title and Mertens’ third, further cementing their legacy as one of the tour’s elite pairs .

For highlights and key points, refer to the WTA’s match recap.

Attribution:
Women's Tennis Association (WTA)
Publisher: WTATv
URL: wtatv.com

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