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Rubin boosts confidence at Eastbourne Posted: Saturday June 21, 2003 1:27 PMUpdated: Saturday June 21, 2003 1:43 PM EASTBOURNE, England (AP) -- American Chanda Rubin defended her title at Eastbourne on Saturday, beating Spain's Conchita Martinez 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in a final delayed more than two hours because of a security threat. More than 3,000 people were evacuated after tourney officials received a threatening phone call. They would not discuss the nature of the threat. Play started about 2 1/2 hours later. The second-seeded Rubin, who overcame two match points against fellow American Jennifer Capriati in the semifinals, became the first repeat winner at the Wimbledon tuneup event since Martina Navratilova. Navratilova won in 1990 and 1991. Martinez, who won Wimbledon in 1994, was playing in her first final of the year. She has not won a tournament in three years. Both players struggled early in the first set. Martinez was broken in the first game, and Rubin lost 10 of the next 11 points. But Rubin broke Martinez four times to win the set. Martinez broke in the fifth game of the second set to even the match. The veteran baseliner needed treatment on her left wrist after falling in the third set and also had her right thigh bandaged at 0-3.
Rubin was broken as she served for the match at 5-3, but broke
back in the next game to win the title.
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