Stubbs and Raymond win women's doubles

Top–seeded Rennae Stubbs of Australia and Lisa Raymond of the United States won their second women's doubles Grand Slam title of the year today, beating American Kimberly Po–Messerli and partner Nathalie Tauziat of France 6–2, 5–7, 7–5 at the US Open.

Stubbs and Raymond also won at Wimbledon earlier this summer. Stubbs and mixed doubles partner Todd Woodbridge of Australia took the US Open title on Thursday, beating Raymond and Leander Paes of India 6–4, 5–7, 11–9 (Champions Tiebreak) in the final.

"I think I really wanted to win for Lisa, after winning the mixed here, trying to get her a title here," Stubbs said.

Raymond and Paes won the mixed doubles Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.

The favorites had an easy time in the first set Sunday, breaking the fourth seeds in the fourth and eighth games while landing 89 percent of their first serves.

Stubbs and Raymond, who didn't have an unforced error in the first set, converted both of their break–point opportunities in the first set while Po–Messerli and Tauziat were 0–for–2.

But the second set went the other way as Po–Messerli and Tauziat broke in the third and eighth games to go up 5–2.

Stubbs and Raymond kept the set alive, erasing a 30–15 deficit to break back in the eighth game, held serve easily in the ninth and then broke again in the 10th to get back on serve at 5–5.

But the breaks continued as Po–Messerli and Tauziat took the final two games to even the match at one set apiece.

"At the key times, we just hung in there and fought our butts off, really believed that we were the best team, that we're the best team in the world right now," Raymond said.

Stubbs and Raymond opened the third set with a break, but quickly gave the advantage back, broken at love in the second game.

Po–Messerli and Tauziat took the lead again with a break of Raymond's serve in the seventh game. But the No. 1 seeds broke Po–Messerli right back to get back on serve at 4–4.

Tauziat, 33, the No. 9 ranked singles player, then held serve in the 10th game after Stubbs held in the ninth.

Raymond, who had lost her last five service games, held in the 11th game for a 6–5 lead, and Po–Messerli was broken in the last game of the match, double–faulting at deuce and hitting a volley long to end the match.

"I think a year or two ago, we definitely would have lost that match," Stubbs said. "I think we would have gotten so upset with ourselves individually that we wouldn't have been able to pull it together."