Czech twins' double act just proves too much for Hong Kong pair
Oh Karolina, am I really seeing double?
A few perplexed fans not quite up to speed on court one at Victoria Park were mulling this as they watched the Pliskova sisters Karolina and Kristyna shred the hopes of Hong Kong's Venise Chan and Tiffany Wu Ho-ching in the first round of the doubles at the Hong Kong Open.
"Are they really twins, they must be," one spectator was heard whispering to his friend as it dawned that the Czechs were really two peas in a pod and with one intent - dispatching their opponents to win 6-3, 6-4.
When we were young, people couldn't make out who was who, but on court it's easy
"We have the same sponsors so we wear the same clothes when we play doubles," said Karolina. "When we were young, people couldn't make out who was who, but on court it's easy."
Wu admitted she had felt "strange as I couldn't quite make out who was who", but partner Chan provided the answer: "One is left-handed and the other is right handed."
Karolina who plays right-handed is also ranked higher than her double, ranked 46 in singles. The left-handed Kristyna is 64th. They are both in the singles competition and together they are seeded third in the doubles where they will now come up against the Chinese-Taiwanese combination of Xu Yifan and Chan Chin-wei in the second round.
"We like playing together and when we are in the same tournament, we enter the doubles competition," says Karolina.