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 The reign is over Eltingh, Haarhuis end Woodies' doubles championship run at 5 straight
Posted: Saturday July 04, 1998 06:43 PM
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Jacco Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis of the Netherlands ended the five-year Wimbledon reign of the Australian doubles pair of Tood Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, taking their doubles final Satuday 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) 5-7, 10-8. The top-seeded Eltingh and Haarhuis won over the second-seeded Australians and took the tight four-hour match when Woodbridge hit a half-volley backhand into the net in the 18th game. It was the third match point for the winning Dutch and the service break was the only one of the fifth set. The Australians won the last five Wimbledon titles -- tying the championships record -- and were going for a record six. They share the record of five straight set by Britons Reggie and Laurie Doherty in 1897-1901. "It's disappointing to lose, but when you look at not only five straight Wimbledon titles but to participate in a match like that, that's what tennis is about," Woodforde said. "We created a niche and a name for ourselves with all the wins and this loss in the final." Woodbridge said it would take time for what they'd done to sink in. "It's hard to be proud of that [the five straight] just at the moment," he said. "Later I think we'll say that was a great achievement." In women's doubles, Martina Hingis and Jana Novotna -- Saturday's singles champion -- reached the final with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Lisa Raymond of the United States and Rennae Stubbs of Australia. Hingis and Novotna will face the second-seeded team of American Lindsay Davenport and Belarussian Natasha Zvereva, who won their semifinal Saturday 6-3, 6-0 over South African Mariaan de Swardt and American Debbie Graham.
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