TENNIS: Serena and Venus Williams gave another awe-inspiring demonstration of their stranglehold on women's tennis by defeating the world's top-ranked doubles pair to win the Australian Open doubles yesterday.
The sisters, who only play doubles for fun, used their superior power and strength to beat Virgina Ruano Pascual of Spain and Argentina's Paola Suarez 4-6 6-4 6-3.
"They're probably the best team and they really, really wanted to win this title," Serena said.
"That makes you really want to fight harder and just go out there and play even better than normal." Venus added:
"We know they're very good at doubles and have a lot of experience so we just have to use everything we have, our experience of being in tight situations and winning, and of course our serves."
The Williams's, who play each other in today's singles final, have an imposing record in doubles despite their reluctance to practice and play regularly.
They have now won six grand slam titles, two at Melbourne and Wimbledon and one each at the French and US Open, and also struck gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Pascual and Suarez are doubles specialists, finishing last year ranked number one and two in the world after winning seven titles including the French and US Open championships, but they still had no answer to the Williams's.
They won the first set after breaking Serena's opening serve and led 3-1 in the deciding third set when the powerfully-built Americans suddenly raised their levels. Serena and Venus reeled off the last six games to lift their second Australian Open title in three years.
"We were pretty much down the whole match then all of a sudden we were up . . . it just happened so quickly," Venus said.
Meanwhile, the hectic schedule of women's tennis could prompt Belgian number one Kim Clijsters to hang up her racket aged just 22, her father said yesterday.
"Now she's coming to Belgium to play in Antwerp but then she has to pack her bags and hurry to America. Scottsdale, Indian Wells - it doesn't stop," Leo Clijsters said.
"In three years' time she will very likely call it quits," he said. Kim, who earned $1.8 million last year, would be financially independent by then, he added.
When Martina Navratilova takes to the court for tomorrow's mixed doubles final with Leander Paes, against Australia's Todd Woodbridge and Greek Eleni Daniilidou, she will be just two sets away from completing an extraordinary record.
Not only will Navratilova become, at 46, the oldest grand slam champion in the history of tennis, but victory will give her an unprecedented clean sweep of all three titles - singles, doubles and mixed - at all four grand slams.
The Australian mixed doubles crown is the only major title missing from her career.
