The Hobart International Tennis Centre in Australia hosted a women's doubles match on Friday, January 17, 2020, featuring a partnership between India's Sania Mirza and Ukraine's Nadiia Kichenok against Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia and Marie Bouzkova from the Czech Republic. For Mirza, this win represented a major comeback, her first significant success since the 2017 China Open.
Their journey started in the quarterfinals on January 16, 2020, where they faced Christina McHale and Vania King. It was a hard-fought match that ended 6-2, 4-6, 10-4. Despite the pressure, Mirza and Kichenok stayed focused and managed to turn the tide during Thursday's play. Following a series of high-intensity rallies, the duo clinched the third set to advance toward the championship match.
In the semifinals, they went head-to-head with the team from Slovenia and the Czech Republic. It was a tough battle lasting 84 minutes, which the Indo-Ukrainian pair eventually won 7-6, 6-2. The opening set was incredibly tight; a 2-2 deadlock was broken by a service error from Bouzkova, though Mirza's own double fault later allowed the opponents to bring the score to 3-3.
Mirza eventually seized the lead in the first set with a powerful backhand strike against Zidansek and Bouzkova. The second set was defined by the aggressive playstyle of the Indo-Ukrainian team. After starting with a 2-0 lead, Mirza quickly pushed the score to 3-0 with a heavy forehand. Although a double fault by Kichenok gave the opponents a point and led to a lengthy rally, Mirza and Kichenok maintained their dominance to lead 4-2.
The match concluded when the former world number one, Sania Mirza, and her partner Kichenok delivered a decisive forehand crosscourt winner, sealing the second set 6-2. Speaking after the match, Mirza noted that the windy conditions made ball control difficult, forcing them to rely more on raw speed and precise striking during the second set.
With this appearance, Sania Mirza reached her 62nd WTA doubles final. Already a six-time Grand Slam champion, she was chasing her 41st career title. The final match pitted the Indo-Ukrainian duo against China's Shuai Peng and Shuai Zhang, who had advanced to the final after their previous opponents were forced to withdraw due to injury.