Casey Dellacqua and Scott Lipsky crowned Mixed Doubles champions – French Open 2011
Unseeded pair of Casey Dellacqua and Scott Lipsky defeated top seeds Katarina Srebotnik and Nenad Zimonjic in three sets 7-6(6), 4-6, 10-7 in the final to capture the mix doubles title at French Open, Roland Garros on Thursday.
The underdog team needed an hour and 28 minutes to down the favourites.
Dellacqua of Australia and Lipsky of USA were pairing for the first time at a grand slam. On the other hand, Slovakian/Serbian team of Srebotnik and Zimonjic were the defending champions.
In the first set, the Australian/American pair surprised their opponents with their aggressive and dominating style of play. Both teams exchange a couple of breaks in the first eight games to level the score at 4-4. The next four
games went with serve, taking the set to a tie-break. Dellacqua and Lipsky grabbed a late mini-break in the tie-break, clinching it 8-6.The Australian/American duo fired a couple of aces and 56 percent of the first deliveries, converting 70 percent of them
into points in the opening set. Dellacqua and Lipsky pressurised their opponents with aggressive and accurate returns of service, winning 43 percent of the receiving points.
The top seeds fought back in the second set as they broke their opponents immediately and consolidated on the break of serve, taking a 2-0 lead. The Australian/American pair broke back in the eighth game to square off the score
at 4-4. After that, Srebotnik and Zimonjic claimed two successive games to win the second set 6-4. The Slovakian/Serbian pair failed to save the only break point on their own serve but converted two of the three break points on their opponents’ serve in the
second set.
With the score getting tied at one set apiece, the match went to a super tie-break. Dellacqua and Lipsky kept their nerves under control and played better on the most crucial points. The Australian/American pair claimed a couple
of mini-breaks to race to a 9-6 lead. Srebotnik and Zimonjic saved one match point with an ace but hit a forehand long on the next point to hand Dellacqua and Lipsky their maiden grand slam title. The Australian/American duo won five of the eight receiving
points in the match tie-break.
According to Dellacqua, the reason behind their success is the attacking style of play they pursue. She said, talking to the reporters at the post match press conference, "You've got to be aggressive on the big points and I think
we did that well all week. We didn't lose a tiebreak and stepped up when it mattered. We were always going walk off the court knowing we went for it. Well, we went for it, and we've got a Grand Slam title."
Dellacqua and Lipsky decided during the press conference that they will pair up again at the next grand slam, the Championships-Wimbledon.
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