Same as it ever was
Rafter, Bjorkman win doubles title over Paes, Bhupathi
Posted: Thursday February 25, 1999 03:35 PM
| |
Rafter (left) and Bjorkman reached the semifinals at last year's Wimbledon and French Open championships AP |
MELBOURNE, Australia (CNN/SI) -- Patrick Rafter called it a dream come true as he accepted half of the Australian Open doubles title Saturday.
Rafter and Jonas Bjorkman, the fifth seeds, received rowdy support
from a combined Australia-Sweden cheer squad and scored a thrilling
6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (10-12), 6-4 win over the top-seeded Indian duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi
It was Rafter's first Grand Slam title on home soil while Bjorkman defended the doubles championship he won last year with Jacco Eltingh.
For Paes and Bhupathi, the five-set loss was another in a long line of devastating Grand Slam defeats.
"Sure we're disappointed because we fought like hell to even
the match at two sets all," said Bhupathi. "Hopefully we'll take
it a step further next time."
Paes and Bhupathi, playing a 10th Grand Slam together, had lost all four Grand Slam semifinals they played in before this tournament.
Bjorkman and Eltingh knocked out Paes and Bhupathi in last
year's Australian Open semifinals and the Swede joined up with
Rafter after Eltingh's retirement.
Rafter, the No. 4 singles player, and Bjorkman, who was No. 4 at
the end of 1997, make an impressive doubles team and reached the
semifinals at last year's Wimbledon and French Open championships.
Rafter, the two-time U.S. Open singles champion, was overjoyed
to take a trophy in front of home fans, who engaged in synchronized
cheering along with the Swedish supporters.
"This is the first time I've been up here in front of you guys
and I've always dreamed of this," Rafter told the crowd. "I never
thought it would be in the doubles but let's hope it's in the
singles, I might get it one year."
Later, Rafter said the reception from the crowd made him feel
"happier out there than winning the second U.S. Open."
Rafter and Bjorkman started strongly and raced through the first
set. The Indians fought back by breaking Rafter at 4-5 to claim the
second set but Paes lost his opening serve of the third set.
Rafter lost his serve at 2-1 but Paes, the weaker of the pair
all match, lost his serve again in the ninth game, allowing
Bjorkman to serve out the set.
The fourth set went all the way on serve, although the Indians
had a set point on Rafter's serve at 4-5.
The tiebreaker was a tense battle with the teams trading
mini-breaks. Rafter and Bjorkman had a matchpoint in the breaker
but Paes put in a strong serve to get his team back on level terms
before it finished off the set.
The only break of serve in the fifth, on Paes' serve at 4-5, was
enough to give away the title. Rafter's volley on a second match
point ended the contest.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
| 
