Chan Yung-Jan (R) of Taiwan hits a return as Zheng Jie looks on during their match at the 2015 Australian Open in Melbourne. (Photo : Reuters)
China’s Zheng Jie crashed out of the Australian Open after losing the women's doubles final match with Chinese Taipei’s Chang Kai-Chen against American Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 7-6, on Friday.
Zheng said that a lack of confidence on her part was to be a major factor in their loss.
"I think the first two serves went well, but I was not confident enough to break my opponent's serves," she said after the match.
"Both sets were pretty close, so if I could have broken her serve and took more winners, the match would have turned out differently."
Chan said that despite failing to clinch the title, she still has a lot to look forward to in her career.
"We are upset about losing the game of course, but our opponents really did a good job, we congratulate them sincerely. I still have a long way to go I know, but luckily, I am still young and have a lot of fire in me."
The match marks the first time Mattek-Sands and Safarova competed as a combination. It is also the first time a new pairing has won a Grand Slam title since Russia's Dinara Safina and France's Nathalie Dechy bagged the U.S. Open title in 2007.
Mattek-Sands, who underwent treatment on her right hamstring several times during the match, also bagged the 2012 Australian Open mixed doubles title with Horia Tecau of Romania.
Zheng and Chang served twice for the second set. Mattek-Sands won the match with a backhand to the open court in the tiebreaker.
Earlier in the mixed doubles semi-final, India's Leander Paes leveled the opening set with a behind-the-back volley.
He and his partner Martina Hingis of Switzerland went on to defeat Hsieh Su-wei of Chinese Taipei and Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay, 7-5, 6-4, to move on to the final.
