Malisse-Rochus make history with Belgian triumph
Malisse-Rochus make history with Belgian triumph
By Araz Gulekjian
Saturday, June 5, 2004
Belgian’s Xavier Malisse and Olivier Rochus made history at Roland Garros on
Saturday, becoming the first Belgian team ever to capture a men’s Grand Slam
doubles title.
The unseeded Belgian team defeated French crowd favorites Fabrice Santoro and
Michael Llodra 7-5 7-5 in front of an excited crowd on Court Philippe
Chatrier.
The last Belgian team to reach a Grand Slam semi final were Jacky Brichant
and Philippe Washer at Wimbledon in 1953.
“There’re no words to describe this. It’s really a joy to win,” Malisse
said.
“We've known each other for the past 10 years. We played all the junior
tournaments together. He is a great friend. Winning with him makes it more
special. I’m very emotional. I’ve always dreamed to take the mic here one
day,” added a teary Rochus.
Today’s win was all the more outstanding because it was only the second
time Malisse and Rochus had played together, having decided to team up here
just for fun.
And fun they had. Malisse and Rochus eliminated five seeded teams en route
to their victory, including No2 seeds Jonas Bjorkman and Todd Woodbridge.
In a sign of things to come, Llodra dropped his opening serve as the Belgian
pair came out firing to go up 4-2.
The two-time Australian Open champions (2003 and 2004) resurfaced and reeled
off three straight games to take the lead but squandered three set points at
5-4 on Malisse’s serve.
Llodra slumped further, performing well below his best, as the French pair
lost their serve in the eleventh game and conceded the set in the twelfth.
The Frenchmen, seeded sixth, who were bidding to become the first French
team to clinch the Roland Garros title after Yannick Noah and Henri Leconte
in 1984, resurged momentarily to go up 3-0 and then 4-2. But each time, they
were unable to hold onto their lead.
Rochus played flawlessly at the end and wrapped up the Belgian’s first Slam
victory on his serve.
“It’s now become a custom in Paris. Each year, the Belgians leave Paris
with a trophy,” teased Santoro.
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 140.112.234.152
FRA_hotties 近期熱門文章
PTT體育區 即時熱門文章