Llodra & Santoro Defend Australian Open Do …
http://www.atptennis.com/en/newsandscores/news/2004/australia_day13.asp
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Melbourne JANUARY 31, 2004
Llodra & Santoro Defend Australian Open Doubles Title
Defending champions Michael Llodra and Fabrice Santoro defeated top seeds Bob
and Mike Bryan (pictured) to win their second straight Australian Open title
on Saturday. The Frenchmen, who had not won a title since claiming their
first Grand Slam crown at Melbourne Park 12 months ago, avenged their
five-set loss to the Bryans in the Tennis Masters Cup Doubles final last
November.
Llodra and Santoro have reached three consecutive Australian Open finals,
losing on debut to Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor in the 2002 final. They
avenged their loss to Knowles/Nestor in the 2003 final but did not win
another title for the season, despite reaching the finals of three Tennis
Masters Series tournaments and the Tennis Masters Cup Doubles.
Llodra/Santoro defeated the Bryans 7-6(4), 6-3 after surviving a scare in
the first set. At 4-5 Llodra survived two set points at 15-40 to level at
5-5. Llodra/Santoro then broke in the next game but Santoro was unable to
serve out the set. The Frenchmen needed a tie-break to clinch the set,
which featured four service breaks.
Llodra/Santoro claimed an early break in the second set and then held serve
for the remainder of the set to close out the match.
Llodra has won just three career doubles titles; Santoro has 12. Santoro was
surprisingly dumped from the French Davis Cup team this week.
The Bryans last year became the first team of brothers to finish No. 1 in the
ATP Doubles Race, winning five titles including Roland Garros and Tennis
Masters Cup Doubles. They won their 15th career team title in Adelaide at
the beginning of the year and then reached finals in Sydney and at the
Australian Open.
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