Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza added the Australian Open title Friday to their 2015 US Open and Wimbledon crowns as the rampantly successful pair maintained their dominance of women's doubles. The Swiss veteran, 35, and her Indian partner, 29, were pushed hard by Czech duo Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka but came through the battle 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena. It stretched the top seeds' win streak to 36 matches, the third best in WTA history and the longest unbeaten run since Jana Novotna and Helen Sukova reached 44 in 1990. The longest win streak ever belongs to Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver, who won an unprecedented 109 straight matches over a two-year period from 1983-1985. "Thanks Sania, without you I wouldn't be here today," said Hingis. "We've struggled through heat and rain this year and it's been a tough tournament." Mirza added: "We've had an incredible year and we just want to keep going. Martina is an amazing champion and it's a privilege for me to play with her." It was the 12th career Grand Slam doubles title for Hingis, who has now won five Australian Opens (1997, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2016), two French Opens (1998, 2000), three at Wimbledon (1996, 1998, 2015) and two on the New York hardcourts in 1998 and 2015. Mirza, married to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, has won three, all with Hingis. Ryder Cup-style competition coming Men's teams from Europe and the Rest of the World will begin a Ryder Cup-style competition in 2017 that will be named after Australian great Rod Laver, organizers said Friday. The Laver Cup, styled after golf's biennial Ryder Cup tournament, will see teams of six compete in both singles and doubles over three days, with four players selected on a "results-based formula" and two named as captain's picks. The first edition of the tournament, which will be staged annually barring summer Olympic years, is expected to be held in Europe. "I'm certainly honored that it warrants the name the Laver Cup," 77-year-old Laver, the only player to win two calendar year Grand Slams and 11 in total, told reporters. "Hopefully the top players will want to participate." A European team would be heavily favored at present, with Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Stan Wawrinka, Rafa Nadal and Tomas Berdych the top six ranked players in the world. The highest-placed non-European is Japan's seventh-ranked Kei Nishikori. The tournament could prove unpopular with some players who have complained that the tour's playing schedule is already too taxing. Players will not be compelled to play even if they qualify and they will not compete for rankings points. The tournament is the brainchild of Team8, the management agency of 17-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer, Tennis Australia and Jorge Paulo Lemann, a Brazilian businessman and former Davis Cup player for Brazil and Switzerland. — Agencies
