Joy as Hsieh, Peng clinch women's doubles title
Source: Agencies |
July 8, 2013, Monday
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HAVING first played together as teenagers, Hsieh Su-wei and Peng Shuai won their first grand slam title with a 7-6 (1), 6-1 victory late on Saturday over Australian duo Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua in the women's doubles final at Wimbledon.
Hsieh became the first player from Chinese Taipei to win a grand slam title while Peng gave China its first doubles title at a major in seven years.
"It's very special because I don't think tennis is popular in Taiwan," Hsieh said. "We didn't see many media during this tournament. We're very proud we can win this tournament together with my good friend. It's our first title, for Taiwan, so I think it's big thing in Taiwan."
The pair, who are both 27, played a few tournaments together as amateurs but ended their partnership after turning pro. After a seven-year hiatus, Hsieh asked Peng at the 2008 US Open if she would be up for a renewed association.
The duo reunited by the end of that year 2008 and won their first 11 matches, claiming titles in Bali and Sydney.
They lost their opening-round match in the 2009 Australian Open quarterfinals against Serena and Venus Williams but now have six titles together.
Both Peng and Hsieh play two-handed shots on both sides, like Marion Bartoli, who won the Wimbledon singles title on Saturday. "It's probably the first time (two-handed players) win the singles and the doubles," Peng said.
Peng and Hsieh said they opted for this unorthodox style of play because they were too small to hold their rackets with one hand when they were kids.
The 12th-seeded Dellacqua and Barty were bidding to become the first all-Australian team to win the women's title here since 1978.
Peng is the third Chinese to win a grand slam doubles title.
In the men's doubles, the Bryan brothers wrapped up the Bryan Slam with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo, making the 35-year-old twins from California the first men's doubles team in the history of Open-era tennis to hold all four major titles at the same time.
"It just feels like we're adding nuts and whipped cream and cherries to our great career," Bob Bryan said. "We said that a few years ago: If we retire today, we feel like we've done it all. Let's go have some fun and add to whatever this is."
They now have 15 grand slam tournament victories, improving on the record they broke at the Australian Open when they surpassed John Newcombe and Tony Roche as the most successful men's pairing of all time. It's their third Wimbledon title and the victory made the Bryans the first team to hold all the slams along with an Olympic gold medal. If they win the US Open, they'll join Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman as the second men's team to complete a calendar grand slam.
Hsieh became the first player from Chinese Taipei to win a grand slam title while Peng gave China its first doubles title at a major in seven years.
"It's very special because I don't think tennis is popular in Taiwan," Hsieh said. "We didn't see many media during this tournament. We're very proud we can win this tournament together with my good friend. It's our first title, for Taiwan, so I think it's big thing in Taiwan."
The pair, who are both 27, played a few tournaments together as amateurs but ended their partnership after turning pro. After a seven-year hiatus, Hsieh asked Peng at the 2008 US Open if she would be up for a renewed association.
The duo reunited by the end of that year 2008 and won their first 11 matches, claiming titles in Bali and Sydney.
They lost their opening-round match in the 2009 Australian Open quarterfinals against Serena and Venus Williams but now have six titles together.
Both Peng and Hsieh play two-handed shots on both sides, like Marion Bartoli, who won the Wimbledon singles title on Saturday. "It's probably the first time (two-handed players) win the singles and the doubles," Peng said.
Peng and Hsieh said they opted for this unorthodox style of play because they were too small to hold their rackets with one hand when they were kids.
The 12th-seeded Dellacqua and Barty were bidding to become the first all-Australian team to win the women's title here since 1978.
Peng is the third Chinese to win a grand slam doubles title.
In the men's doubles, the Bryan brothers wrapped up the Bryan Slam with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win over Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo, making the 35-year-old twins from California the first men's doubles team in the history of Open-era tennis to hold all four major titles at the same time.
"It just feels like we're adding nuts and whipped cream and cherries to our great career," Bob Bryan said. "We said that a few years ago: If we retire today, we feel like we've done it all. Let's go have some fun and add to whatever this is."
They now have 15 grand slam tournament victories, improving on the record they broke at the Australian Open when they surpassed John Newcombe and Tony Roche as the most successful men's pairing of all time. It's their third Wimbledon title and the victory made the Bryans the first team to hold all the slams along with an Olympic gold medal. If they win the US Open, they'll join Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman as the second men's team to complete a calendar grand slam.
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