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Double delight Stubbs, Palmer win mixed doubles title
Posted: Saturday January 29, 2000 12:00 AM
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Rennae Stubbs clinched her second doubles title of the 2000 Australian Open when she teamed with Jared Palmer on Sunday to win the mixed doubles final against Todd Woodbridge and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario. The 28-year-old Australian, who had never won a Grand Slam championship leading into the Melbourne Park tournament, won her second in three days with the 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) win over 1993 Australian Open mixed doubles champions Woodbridge and Sanchez-Vicario. She combined with Americans both times, teaming with Lisa Raymond to defeat Martina Hingis and Mary Pierce in the women's doubles final on Friday. "If you'd told me I would have won two Grand Slam [titles] coming in here, I would have said 'yeah, right,'" Stubbs said. "It's a different perspective for me now going into Grand Slams, I actually believe I can win them, which is a new experience. It's also a different pressure knowing that you are the one that people want to beat." Palmer, who won the 1995 Australian Open men's doubles title with Richey Reneberg, closed out on the first match point when Woodbridge put a forehand into the net. The 28-year-old American joked that he followed Stubbs' orders Sunday. "We didn't have too much of an individual strategy," he said. "We hit some good shots on big points and we just played solid -- the break just went our way." The opening set went with serve until 5-5 when Palmer hit a return winner at 30-40 to break Sanchez-Vicario and take a 6-5 lead. Woodbridge of Australia and Sanchez-Vicario of Spain had combined to win Grand Slam mixed doubles titles at Roland Garros in 1992 and at Melbourne Park in '93.
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