Second seeds Cara Black of Zimbabwe and South African Liezel Huber recovered from a set down to beat Ai Sugiyama and Katarina Srebotnik for the ladies’ doubles title, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Black and Huber also won the title in 2005, and their well-honed teamwork proved too much for the relatively new pairing of Japanese Sugiyama and Slovenian Srebotnik, the No.4 seeds. That said, the match was something of a ‘family’ affair: Black also won with Rennae Stubbs in 2004, beating none other than Huber and Sugiyama.
Indeed, today’s loss marks Sugiyama’s fourth runner-up finish at this event. She also reached the final with Kim Clijsters in 2001, and Julie Halard-Decugis in 2000. On a happier note, the sprightly Japanese star captured the title with the recently-retired Clijsters in 2003.
Sugiyama and Srebotnik have had a good tournament, their run including a three-set defeat of top seeds Samantha Stosur and Lisa Raymond in the semi-finals. They carried that form into the first set today, breaking Black in her opening service game and maintaining the advantage thanks to a winning mix of crafty angles, deft lobs and a string of unforced errors by their opponents.
Black and Huber turned the tables in the second set when they broke Sugiyama’s serve for 3-1. They also went on to break the athletic Srebotnik for 5-1, and although the underdogs clawed back a break and held for 3-5, powerful serving saw Black clinch the set on her second opportunity.
When Srebotnik, the only player on court playing in her first Wimbledon final, was broken in the first game of the final set her team proved unable to regroup. Sugiyama was broken for 5-2 and although Huber faced break points on her serve, the outcome no longer seemed in doubt.
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