What Is 2019 Toray Pan Pacific Open – Doubles

Overview

The 2019 Toray Pan Pacific Open – Doubles was a premier-level women's tennis doubles tournament held in Tokyo, Japan, as part of the WTA Tour. Played on indoor hard courts at the Ariake Coliseum, the event featured a 28-team draw and served as a key warm-up for the upcoming China Open and the WTA Finals.

Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic emerged as champions, defeating the all-Chinese Taipei pair of Hao-Ching Chan and Latisha Chan in straight sets. The final match concluded on October 5, 2019, marking a dominant performance by the top-seeded duo in both sets.

• Champions: Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic claimed the title with a 6–3, 6–2 win in the final, showcasing strong net play and coordination throughout the match.
• Final opponents: Hao-Ching Chan and Latisha Chan, the fourth seeds, reached the final after defeating two seeded pairs earlier in the week.
• Tournament dates: The doubles event ran from September 23 to October 5, 2019, with the final held on the last day of the tournament.
• Location: Matches were played at the Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo, Japan, on indoor hard courts under a retractable roof.
• Seeding: Babos and Mladenovic were the top seeds in the 28-team draw, giving them a bye into the second round alongside other top pairs.

How It Works

The Toray Pan Pacific Open uses a standard WTA doubles format, combining seeding, match structure, and court conditions to determine the champion. Each round follows a best-of-three-sets format, with a match tiebreak replacing the third set in some WTA events.

• Draw Size: The doubles event featured a 28-team draw, including 12 seeded pairs and four wild-card entries, ensuring broad participation.
• Seeding: The top four seeded pairs received byes into the second round, reducing early-round fatigue for higher-ranked teams.
• Match Format: All matches were played in a best-of-three-sets format, with a 10-point match tiebreak used if the match reached one set all.
• Court Surface: The tournament was played on indoor hard courts, which favor aggressive baseline play and consistent ball speed.
• Scoring: Standard tennis scoring applied, with sets won by the first to six games (win by two), and a tiebreak at 6–6.
• Points and Prize: Winners earned 280 WTA ranking points and a share of the $1,062,000 total prize pool, with doubles champions receiving $96,400.

Comparison at a Glance

Below is a comparison of the 2019 Toray Pan Pacific Open Doubles with other WTA Premier events from the same season.

This table highlights how the Tokyo event compared in structure and outcomes to other elite WTA tournaments. The smaller draw size and indoor setting made for faster-paced matches, while the prize and points remained competitive with other Premier events.

Why It Matters

The 2019 Toray Pan Pacific Open – Doubles had significant implications for player rankings, team dynamics, and the lead-up to the WTA Finals. It provided crucial ranking points and momentum for teams aiming to qualify for the season-ending championships.

• Rankings boost: Babos and Mladenovic gained 280 points, helping them climb the Race to Shenzhen leaderboard for the WTA Finals.
• Team chemistry: Their victory marked their second title of the season, reinforcing their status as a top-tier doubles partnership.
• Asian swing momentum: The win gave Babos and Mladenovic confidence heading into the China Open and the WTA Finals in Shenzhen.
• Chan sisters' performance: Despite losing the final, the Chan sisters improved their seeding and visibility in the doubles rankings.
• Tournament prestige: As a Premier-level event, the title added significant weight to a player’s resume and career achievements.
• Japanese exposure: The tournament boosted tennis visibility in Japan, supported by local sponsor Toray Industries.

Overall, the 2019 doubles event underscored the depth of talent on the WTA Tour and highlighted the importance of consistency and teamwork in doubles competition.