Swedish newcomers stop Woodies ATP Doubles

Swedish newcomers stop Woodies ATP Doubles

JAKARTA (JP): Sweden's Davis Cup heroes Jan Apell and Jonas
Bjorkman capped their brilliant run at the ATP World Doubles
championship yesterday, winning a marathon final over Australian
duo Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde 6-4, 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5),
7-6 (8-6).

The see-saw match lasting almost four hours and played
before more than 1,000 cheering crowd, was the anticlimax for the
Woodies who toppled defending champions Jacco Eltingh and Paul
Haarhuis in Saturday's retaliation clash.

So many chances came, but the Australian duo were not in
their best shape to regain the crown they took two years ago in
Johannesburg. Woodbridge served for a win twice in the last two
sets, but looked to have a big problem with his second serve.

It was the second time that the Woodies had been beaten in
their three final appearances. The victory, on the other hand,
stretched the Swedes' winning streak over the Australian to 4-1.

Apell inspired his out-of-form teammate with his sharp
returns to take the opening set by breaking Woodforde's serve in
the 10th game. They, however, were forced to struggle all the way
in the next sets.

"We played our best tennis here, but we were lucky as well,"
Apell, whose powerful passing shots highlighted the exhausting
match, said.

Both fast-tiring teams were involved in error-prone games in
the deciding set, with Woodbridge nailing five double faults,
Woordforde two. Apell and Bjorkman double faulted once apiece.

Woodbridge and Woodforde took a 5-4 lead in the fourth set
and looked set to take the title until Woodbridge's double fault
and some inspired playing by the Swedes cost them preciously.

The Australians had a second chance to walk away with their
second title when they raced to a 4-1 lead in the fifth set but
the Swedes fought back to level the score by breaking
Woodbridge's serve.

A lucky net cord from resurgent Bjorkman gave the Swedes a
crucial point in the final tiebreak, before Woodforde hit a wide
return.

"We just tried to get possible points after the fourth set,"
said Bjorkman, who enjoyed his second victory on Senayan indoor
stadium. He took the doubles title with Neil Borwick in the
Indonesia Men's Open last February.

Tennis enthusiasts could not avoid shrieking as both pairs
displayed a lot of classic richoceting rallies at the net, with
the crucial points won and lost by both sides in either errors or
brilliance in long lobs to the back of the court and nose-dive
smashes.

Bjorkman admitted he was not in his top form, saying:
"Normally my backhand return is the best. I don't know why it did
not work." Bjorkman dropped his serve to hand the Woodies their
second set win.

The Swedish Davis Cup heroes will be US$200,000 richer after
the championship. They also increased their ranking point to
2,531, but they will finish the year as the world number five.

"This is unbelievable. Our success has been going so fast,"
said Apell, who has teamed up with Bjorkman to win three titles
on the road to the season-ending tournament.

The Woodies had to be content with the runners-up's prize
money of $50,000, but they walked away with a total purse of
$265,000.

"They pipped us again at the post," an upset Woodforde said.
"Besides, I didn't serve well," he added.

Apell and Bjorkman, who helped Sweden to a fine Davis Cup
semifinal victory against the United States in September, will be
in action in next weekend's final against Russia. (amd)