[Davodus]

Australia’s Rennae Stubbs is turning back the clock and reuniting with Lisa Raymond to play the women’s doubles at Australian Open 2010.

Stubbs and Raymond won the tournament, the first Grand Slam title of their careers, back in 2000, defeating Martina Hingis and Mary Pierce in an epic 6-4 5-7 6-4 final. Played out in front of a packed home crowd, Stubbs describes the victory as the proudest moment of her career.

“The fact that we were able to go out there against such an accomplished player as Martina Hingis, was special,” says Stubbs. “I’ll never forget the feeling of winning our first Grand Slam together. I had most of my family watching so it was a really emotional moment for the both of us. “

The victory was long-awaited revenge for the pair who had lost to Hingis and Mirjana Lucic at the Australian Open 1997 semifinals and to Hingis and Anna Kournikova at the same stage in 1998.

“We were able to come away with something we always hoped we could do, but the bottom line is you start to doubt yourself,” says Stubbs. “When it finally happened, and she (Hingis) hit that last backhand wide, I couldn’t believe we’d actually done it.”

Stubbs made her Australian Open main draw debut in the tournament’s first year at ‘Flinders Park’ (now Melbourne Park) in 1998 and says that all Australian players look forward to playing on familiar turf.

“We don’t get to experience the joy of the crowd getting behind us very often, if at all, so it’s really nice to be in that environment with its laid back atmosphere,” she says explaining that, Australian or not, the first major of the year holds special significance for everyone on the tour.

“It’s the start of a new year and we’ve had a break and we’re excited to be playing again,” she explains. “There’s a little trepidation walking out onto court for the first Grand Slam of the season. We haven’t played much tennis – competitively anyway – for a while, so there’s that new feeling which kind of hard to replace when you’ve been playing for as long as I have.”

Stubbs teamed with Sam Stosur in 2009, the pair one of four to qualify for the end-of-year, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships in Doha. And, at 38, Stubbs has high hopes for her 2010 pairing which will take to the court at January’s Medibank Sydney International for the first time since their first round loss at Wimbledon 2005.

“We’re both on the same page, trying to be aggressive and when we’re both in at the net it’s pretty hard to get the ball through us or around us because most people would consider us two of the better volleyers in the world,” says Stubbs.

The Tour’s established doubles pairings are advised to crash Stubbs and Raymond’s reunion party at their peril.

“We don’t need to prove anything to anyone, only to ourselves,” says the determined Aussie. “Enjoying it is key, but being competitive and winning the tournament – that’s always the goal when you step on the court.”


http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/...919345394.html

[Njay16]

Originally Posted by Davodus

Australia’s Rennae Stubbs is turning back the clock and reuniting with Lisa Raymond to play the women’s doubles at Australian Open 2010.

Stubbs and Raymond won the tournament, the first Grand Slam title of their careers, back in 2000, defeating Martina Hingis and Mary Pierce in an epic 6-4 5-7 6-4 final. Played out in front of a packed home crowd, Stubbs describes the victory as the proudest moment of her career.

“The fact that we were able to go out there against such an accomplished player as Martina Hingis, was special,” says Stubbs. “I’ll never forget the feeling of winning our first Grand Slam together. I had most of my family watching so it was a really emotional moment for the both of us. “

The victory was long-awaited revenge for the pair who had lost to Hingis and Mirjana Lucic at the Australian Open 1997 semifinals and to Hingis and Anna Kournikova at the same stage in 1998.

“We were able to come away with something we always hoped we could do, but the bottom line is you start to doubt yourself,” says Stubbs. “When it finally happened, and she (Hingis) hit that last backhand wide, I couldn’t believe we’d actually done it.”

Stubbs made her Australian Open main draw debut in the tournament’s first year at ‘Flinders Park’ (now Melbourne Park) in 1998 and says that all Australian players look forward to playing on familiar turf.

“We don’t get to experience the joy of the crowd getting behind us very often, if at all, so it’s really nice to be in that environment with its laid back atmosphere,” she says explaining that, Australian or not, the first major of the year holds special significance for everyone on the tour.

“It’s the start of a new year and we’ve had a break and we’re excited to be playing again,” she explains. “There’s a little trepidation walking out onto court for the first Grand Slam of the season. We haven’t played much tennis – competitively anyway – for a while, so there’s that new feeling which kind of hard to replace when you’ve been playing for as long as I have.”

Stubbs teamed with Sam Stosur in 2009, the pair one of four to qualify for the end-of-year, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships in Doha. And, at 38, Stubbs has high hopes for her 2010 pairing which will take to the court at January’s Medibank Sydney International for the first time since their first round loss at Wimbledon 2005.

“We’re both on the same page, trying to be aggressive and when we’re both in at the net it’s pretty hard to get the ball through us or around us because most people would consider us two of the better volleyers in the world,” says Stubbs.

The Tour’s established doubles pairings are advised to crash Stubbs and Raymond’s reunion party at their peril.

“We don’t need to prove anything to anyone, only to ourselves,” says the determined Aussie. “Enjoying it is key, but being competitive and winning the tournament – that’s always the goal when you step on the court.”


http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/...919345394.html

OMG OMG OMG

DAVE WHERE ARE YOU?!?! I NEED SOMEONE TO CELEBRATE WITH.


This is excellent excellent news! I'm glad they have decided not to let the past effect something great. I'm glad they both found each other again. Now we have two true doubles specialists together again other than Black/Huber. I remember watching their doubles matches in 2001 and they were just perfect together. Obviously age is a factor now but look how great they played this year and being together again would compliment them so well. Not having to get familiar with a new partner and hopefully remembering some of their old tricks. Obviously Venus & Serena would remain the favorites, but during the regular tour season they should be a force to be recokned with. Let's go Lisa/Rennae! Gun for Glory!!!!!

[ArturoAce.]

NO FREAKIN WAY!!

[Harvs]

[darrinbaker00]

Y'all know their previous partnership extended beyond the tennis court, right?

[Njay16]

Originally Posted by darrinbaker00

Y'all know their previous partnership extended beyond the tennis court, right?

Duh.

[nevetssllim]

Very exciting!

It looks as though Lisa was calling our bluff when she told us in a recent interview that this player had been on a good singles run recently. Given all of their history, I really didn't expect this but it will be great for doubles

[pwayne]

Is this the secret that Lisa would not reveal? Now, will be interesting to see how they mesh today.

[Dave.]

For real? OMG! I've been hoping they'd reunite for a long time now and now it's actually going to happen. They were too good a team to just not play anymore. I completely did not expect this after Lisa said her new partner had been doing well in singles recently.

10 years after they won the AO too! (see my sig ) That match against Hingis/Pierce is perhaps the best doubles match I've ever seen and Rennae's speech afterwards was so emotional.

This makes the AO season so much better now. Not sure whether they'll continue on but I hope so (Rennae said the same thing about Sam this year that it would only be for the AO and they played the whole year).

Originally Posted by Njay16

OMG OMG OMG

DAVE WHERE ARE YOU?!?! I NEED SOMEONE TO CELEBRATE WITH.


This is excellent excellent news! I'm glad they have decided not to let the past effect something great. I'm glad they both found each other again. Now we have two true doubles specialists together again other than Black/Huber. I remember watching their doubles matches in 2001 and they were just perfect together. Obviously age is a factor now but look how great they played this year and being together again would compliment them so well. Not having to get familiar with a new partner and hopefully remembering some of their old tricks. Obviously Venus & Serena would remain the favorites, but during the regular tour season they should be a force to be recokned with. Let's go Lisa/Rennae! Gun for Glory!!!!!

I'm here. This is great news.

and yeah it adds more interest to the new season to see how they'll do especially against the top teams. They are one of the few active teams to have beaten the WS, but they've never played Bluber which would be a dream doubles match.

[TennisFan75]

yay!!! great news.. i was just reliving some Raymond/Stubbs matches this weekend, looking forward to some great results from them

[Miss Atomic Bomb]

Beat them WS.

[IanRadi]

1. Raymond/Stosur and Peschke/Stubbs
2. Raymond/Peschke and Stosur/Stubbs
3. Raymond/Stubbs (again) and Stosur/?



Good luck to Lisa and Rennae btw.

[davidmario]

Originally Posted by Flushing.

1. Raymond/Stosur and Peschke/Stubbs
2. Raymond/Peschke and Stosur/Stubbs
3. Raymond/Stubbs (again) and Stosur/?



Good luck to Lisa and Rennae btw.

Peschke?

[Uranium]

No fucking way, that's awesome
Only bad thing is that Lisa's rank will brag them down a bit and make it tougher on them
Wow, this could be fun, but I wonder if they will continue since Lisa said she has a singles player in mind, so I wonder if she is just toying with us

Ugh, side note, Lisa don't lose focus on Mixed in Melbourne, I hope to hear about a new partnership there too, you're in to win both

[AJZ.]