Saturday, Feb 25, 2012
Gulf News
Dubai Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond maintained their momentum with a 6-3, 6-2 cruise against Nuria Llagostera Vives and Anastasia Rodionova to make their third straight final this season at the Dubai Duty Free Women’s Open here yesterday.
Defending champion Huber, who is aiming for a record fifth doubles title in Dubai — three of which came with Zimbabwean Cara Black — also won earlier this season in Paris and last week in Doha.
Yesterday there was no sign of slowing down as the top seeds bided their time before getting a first break in the sixth game and going on to wrap up the first set 6-3 in exactly half an hour.
Pressure
The second set was more one-sided, with Huber and Raymond quick off the mark with a break on Rodionova’s serve and Raymond then held for 2-0. The Americans upped the pressure as Vives too surrendered her serve and Huber held to make it 4-0.
From then on there was no looking back as Raymond went on to serve out the set and match at 6-2 in 61 minutes to assure themselves of a spot in today’s final. The second semi-final was due to be played between the Indo-Russia pair of Sania Mirza and Elena Vesnina and Su-Wei Hsieh and Shuai Peng late last night.
Huber is currently the number one in world doubles and, along with Raymond, stands at the top in the race for the BNP Paribas WTA Doubles Championships with 2,190 points after four tournaments.
Between them, Huber and Raymond have won 11 Grand Slams in the women’s doubles, with just the French Open crown eluding Huber so far.
HADRIAN HERNANDEZ/Gulf News
Touch and go
Anastasia Rodionova plays a drop volley as partner Nuria Llagostera Vives looks on during their semi-final clash with Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond at the Dubai Tennis Stadium yesterday. Huber-Raymond won 6-3, 6-2.
The second set was more one-sided, with Huber and Raymond quick off the mark with a break on Rodionova’s serve and Raymond then held for 2-0.
By Alaric Gomes?Senior Reporter
Gulf News 2012. All rights reserved.
