Icing on the cake: Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis team named 2015 World Champions

London: The formidable pairing of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis was on Tuesday named as Women’s Doubles World Champions by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in recognition of their stupendous success in season 2015. Hingis is an ITF World Champion 15 years after last being named World Champion in singles in 2000. Sania and Martina joined forces in March this year but proved a force to be reckoned with in 2015, winning two Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open, and seven further tournaments. [caption id=“attachment_2556094” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis. AFP[/caption] They won their last 22 matches from the start of the US Open through wins in Asia at Guangzhou, Wuhan, Beijing and the WTA Finals, ending the year with a 55-7 record. “I am very honoured to receive this award from the ITF after what has been a great year for me and Martina. It is incredible that we have achieved so much in such a short time playing together. I am grateful to everyone that has helped me throughout my career and I hope that my success can inspire other girls in India,“Sania said. Martina said,“It is a great honour to be named ITF Women’s Doubles World Champions. Sania and I have enjoyed every minute of the season and we hope to continue in 2016 in the same fashion. We are set to join a long list of champions and it is a privilege to be recognised alongside them.” The ITF also announced American Serena Williams and Serbian Novak Djokovic as the 2015 ITF World Champions. Williams is named Women’s World Champion for the sixth time, while this is the fifth occasion that Djokovic has received the honour. PTI