TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Tennis stars Hsieh Su-wei (謝淑薇) and Kateřina Siniaková advanced to the semifinals of the 2025 Ningbo Open (寧波女網賽) Friday (Oct. 17) after their Chinese opponents withdrew due to injury. The duo, dubbed the "Taiwan-Czech Alliance" (台捷聯軍), received a walkover victory when Zheng Saisai (鄭賽賽) pulled out with a left foot injury. The advancement keeps alive their quest for their first title of the season at the WTA 500-level tournament.
The scheduled match against Chinese pair Wang Xinyu (王欣瑜) and Zheng ended without play, automatically advancing the partnership to the semifinals. Hsieh and Siniaková had earlier defeated Taiwan's Chan Hao-ching (詹皓晴) and China's Jiang Xinyu (蔣欣玗) to reach the quarterfinals. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) 500-level tournament represents one of tennis's premier events below Grand Slam level.
The "Taiwan-Czech Alliance" awaits either the Serbian-Kazakh tandem of Aleksandra Krunić and Anna Danilina or the American-Russian pair of Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Liudmila Samsonova in the semifinals. The outcome of that quarterfinal match will determine their next opponents. Both potential semifinal matchups present formidable challenges for the partnership seeking their breakthrough tournament victory.
Hsieh has demonstrated exceptional form since returning to competition at the 2023 French Open, capturing five Grand Slam doubles titles over two years. However, the partnership remains winless this season after falling short at the Australian Open. The Ningbo Open represents their best opportunity to break through for their first title together this year. ◼
