A veteran's big week in Dubai was rewarded by the fans this week, as Hsieh Su-wei earned the crown of February's Breakthrough of the Month.
After winning Shot of the Month presented by Cambridge Global Payments in January, Hsieh earned her second monthly honor in as many months for 2019 so far.
The 33-year-old reached the biggest semifinal of her career in Dubai, as she scored a series of impressive victories in the singles draw, and later won the doubles title alongside Barbora Strycova.
Read the recap: Hsieh and Strycova complete Dubai doubles sweep
Hsieh started her week with a two-set win over No.10 seed Anastasija Sevastova, and following another win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich, she rallied from sets down against Angelique Kerber and Karolina Pliskova to seal her place in the final four against Petra Kvitova.
“It’s always good to see more different styles of play on the tour because they give more fun. When we play against them, we feel more fun," Hsieh told reporters during the week.
"You don't always want to play the same girl, who only do slice, or hit the big ball. It's boring for the fans, for me also!”
She was even one set from the final, as she won the opener vs. the Czech, only to see the Australian Open champion rally to win a thriller.
Final Results for February's Breakthrough of the Month
1. Hsieh Su-wei
2. Bianca Andreescu
3. Wang Yafan
4. Sofia Kenin
How it works: five hot shots are selected by wtatennis.com for every month, and the winner is then determined by a fan vote on wtatennis.com.
Previous WTA Breakthroughs of the Month for 2019
January: Dayana Yastremska
