New Doubles Team on the Block: Llagostera Vives and Martinez Sanchez
Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain pulled off the doubles “double play” of the year at the 2009 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships in Doha by beating Serena Williams and Venus Williams, holders of the 2009 Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open crowns, in the semis and the Number One ranked
doubles team, Cara Black and Liezel Huber, in the Final. To add even more excitement and tension to mix, Llagostera Vives and Martinez Sanchez won both matches in ten point match tie-breaks!
Llagostera Vives, who is listed at five feet and one ½ inches, and the left-handed serve and volleying, Martinez Sanchez, who stands five feet and nine ¼ inches appear an odd doubles pairing. However, despite her diminutive size, Llagostera Vives was able to handle the Williams’ pace, possesses quick reflexes at net and plays smart doubles deftly placing her returns and volleys. Llagostera Vives is currently ranked 146th in singles and career-high 5th in doubles, but she has been ranked as high as 35th in singles and won two Tour singles titles during her career, as well as twelve doubles titles. Her doubles success reminds one of Spanish Hall of Famer, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, who won Grand Slam doubles titles despite her small size. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who serves and volleys a lot in singles, even on clay courts, plays more traditional doubles. Llagostera Vives and Martinez Sanchez also utilized the lob effectively at times in the Final which kept Black and Huber off balance.
It was a dream week for the Spanish doubles duo of Llagostera Vives and Martinez Sanchez who beat both the Williams sisters and the team of Black and Huber for the first time and collected their Tour-leading seventh doubles title of 2009 by winning the Championships on Sunday. In 2010, Llagostera Vives and Martinez Sanchez will definitely be contenders at the Grand Slams where they will be aiming to improve upon their quarterfinal finishes of 2009. At the same time, Martinez Sanchez, who won two singles titles in 2009 and is ranked a career-high in singles at 30th and doubles at 6th is also competing in the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions in Bali this week. Next year she will definitely be trying to crack the top twenty in singles.
Llagostera Vives, who is listed at five feet and one ½ inches, and the left-handed serve and volleying, Martinez Sanchez, who stands five feet and nine ¼ inches appear an odd doubles pairing. However, despite her diminutive size, Llagostera Vives was able to handle the Williams’ pace, possesses quick reflexes at net and plays smart doubles deftly placing her returns and volleys. Llagostera Vives is currently ranked 146th in singles and career-high 5th in doubles, but she has been ranked as high as 35th in singles and won two Tour singles titles during her career, as well as twelve doubles titles. Her doubles success reminds one of Spanish Hall of Famer, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, who won Grand Slam doubles titles despite her small size. Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who serves and volleys a lot in singles, even on clay courts, plays more traditional doubles. Llagostera Vives and Martinez Sanchez also utilized the lob effectively at times in the Final which kept Black and Huber off balance.
It was a dream week for the Spanish doubles duo of Llagostera Vives and Martinez Sanchez who beat both the Williams sisters and the team of Black and Huber for the first time and collected their Tour-leading seventh doubles title of 2009 by winning the Championships on Sunday. In 2010, Llagostera Vives and Martinez Sanchez will definitely be contenders at the Grand Slams where they will be aiming to improve upon their quarterfinal finishes of 2009. At the same time, Martinez Sanchez, who won two singles titles in 2009 and is ranked a career-high in singles at 30th and doubles at 6th is also competing in the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions in Bali this week. Next year she will definitely be trying to crack the top twenty in singles.
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