Hsieh/Peng secure ticket to WTA Championship

BEIJING - The WTA on Friday announced the other three qualified pairs for the WTA Championship, including China's Peng Shuai/Chinese Taipei's Hsieh Su-Wei.

Peng/Hsien, Nadia Petrova/Katarina Srebotnik and Ekaterina Makarova/Elena Vesnina will join co-World No 1s Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci of Italy in the Championship, who booked the berth to the yearending tournament a few weeks ago.

The top eight singles players and top four doubles teams will compete in Istanbul for a record-setting $6-million prize money purse and the most prestigious title on the WTA calendar after the Grand Slams.

"Each of these teams had magnificent seasons and it is exciting to see their hard work has earned them a spot in the yearend WTA Championships," WTA Chairman & CEO Stacey Allaster said of the news.

"The line-up promises to provide an exciting competition with Grand Slam champions, former No 1s and the best WTA doubles players competing at our crown jewel event."

Hsieh and Peng have won four WTA doubles titles this year - Rome, their first Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon (where Hsieh became the first player from Chinese Taipei to win a Grand Slam title of any kind), Cincinnati and Guangzhou.

Perhaps even more impressive is the pair is a perfect 8-0 in WTA doubles finals together.