Share

Williams duo win doubles title

Melbourne - Serena and Venus Williams won their eighth Grand Slam women's doubles title on Friday with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia and Japan's Ai Sugiyama.

The Williams sisters, seeded 10th, looked unflustered in the Australian Open final as they served out the first set in just 38 minutes under a closed roof on centre court.

The second set proved more difficult as the pairs exchanged breaks six times in nine games before the Williams' powerful returns and superior movement around the court proved the deciding factor.

Serena Williams, who returns to centre court on Saturday for the singles final, dominated at the net as they broke Sugiyama's serve to take a 4-3 lead, then sealed the championship by breaking Hantuchova.

The sisters, who won the women's doubles gold medal at last year's Beijing Olympics, held up their rackets to celebrate the win before hugging each other on court.

"I'd like to thank Serena for being the best partner," Venus Williams, 28, said. "I wouldn't want to play with anyone else. She's amazing."

The Williams sisters now have three Australian Open doubles titles, having previously won here in 2001 and 2003.

Serena, 27, who has a chance to win her 10th singles Grand Slam title when she takes on Dinara Safina on Saturday, looked relaxed during and after the match.

The sisters laughed and chatted between sets and made an unhurried exit from Rod Laver Arena after the trophy presentations.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1814 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1774 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1081 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 459 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 186 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE