China's Zhang Shuai and Chinese Taipei's Hsieh Su-wei were eliminated from the women's doubles at Indian Wells on Thursday, falling 7-5, 6-3 to Britain's Olivia Nicholls and Slovakia's Tereza Mihalikova in the semifinals.

Nicholls and Mihalikova served four aces and won 71 percent of points on their first serve to take the match in just over an hour and a half in the Californian desert.

Zhang and Hsieh, the competition's fifth seeded pair, entered the match having not lost a set during the tournament but won just 59 percent of their total service points and converted only one of seven break points.

Former world No. 1 Hsieh, who turned 39 in January, had been aiming for her fifth Indian Wells doubles crown.

Nicholls and Mihalikova will meet either Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova or Asia Muhammad and Demi Schuurs in the final.