Doubles delight for Barbora Strycova
Czech Barbora Strycova completed a memorable Wimbledon tournament as she partnered Taiwan's Hsieh Su-wei to the women's doubles title yesterday morning (Singapore time), beating Canada-China duo Gabriela Dabrowski and Xu Yifan 6-2, 6-4.
"Oh my God, there is no word to describe the feeling," said a beaming Strycova, who lost to Serena Williams in the women's singles semi-finals.
They became the first to lift the doubles crown at Wimbledon without dropping a set since Serena and Venus Williams in 2009.
"I felt I like this tournament from the first moment we stepped on the court together, we just laughed and we just enjoyed," she said.
STRESS
"We kept it through the whole tournament, that was the biggest key (to the fact) we were playing the way we played. We are very different, but both of us handle stress differently.
"She (Hsieh) is a really calm person and I'm very emotional. But I keep (trying) to enjoy it with a smile. That helps me also to relax on the court."
Strycova, 33, had also become the oldest Wimbledon singles semi-final debutante when she lost to Serena on Thursday.
It was altogether a great day for Taiwanese players, with Latisha Chan teaming up with Croat Ivan Dodig to win the mixed doubles final, outplaying Latvian Jelena Ostapenko and 42-year-old Swede Robert Lindstedt 6-2, 6-3. - REUTERS, AFP
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