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)