Chan sisters return to Slam quarterfinal in Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Australia - Three seeded doubles teams were in action at the Australian Open on Sunday and all three booked a spot in the quarterfinals.

No.7 seeds Latisha Chan and Chan Hao-ching came from a break down in the second set to defeat Aliaksandra Sasnovich and Taylor Townsend, 7-5, 7-5, and will be joined in the last eight by No.5 seeds Andreja Klepac and María José Martínez Sánchez, No.9 seeds Raquel Atawo and Katarina Srebotnik and Czechs Barbora Strycova and Marketa Vondrousova. 

It is the fourth career appearance for the sister act in a Grand Slam quarterfinal, and first since the 2016 French Open.

"Today, we were pretty close to losing a set...but I'm happy we were able to manage from 4-5 down and to come back, 7-5," Latisha Chan said after the match.

"I'm very happy to be able to be in the quarterfinals with my sister again."

Leading by a set and 4-1, things got complicated for the No.7 seeds, as the lost four games in a row and looked in danger of losing their first set of the fortnight. 

Nonetheless, they righted the ship and captured the last three games of the match, without needing to save a set point, to set up a meeting with either No.4 seeds Kveta Peschke and Nicole Melichar, or Jennifer Brady and Alison Riske.

The lone quarterfinal to be decided in the doubles draw thus far will be between Klepac and Martínez Sánchez, and Vondrousova and Strycova, after the two teams posted contrasting wins on Sunday.

The No.5 seeds needed three sets to down the unseeded team of Irina Bara and Monica Niculescu, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, while the Czechs eased past Nao Hibino and Desirae Krawczyk, 6-2, 6-4.