ZIMBABWE’S leading female tennis player Cara Black won her second title in a row as she lifted the China Open trophy with India’s Sania Mirza, demolishing the challenge of Vera Dushevina and Arantxa Parra Santonja in straight sets, in Beijing on Saturday.
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The eighth-seeded Indo-Zimbabwean pair thrashed the Russian-Spanish combo 6-2 6-2 in the summit clash, which lasted one hour and six minutes to end the season in style.
Having stunned top seeds Roberta Vinci and Sara Errani of Italy in the semi-finals, Black and Mirza were in confident mood heading into the final.
The pair worked harmoniously as a team over the 66 minutes of the match — Black’s small, wiry 121-pound frame quickly bouncing on the court delivering net-service to short balls and Mirza hanging back to hit powerful shots from the baseline.
When one bobbed, the other weaved. The pair understands each other’s strengths and how to take advantage of them.
They dominated both sets, leaving no opportunity for Dushevina and Parra Santonja to take advantage of.
Black and Mirza had won Pan Pacific Open in Toyko last week and the two players have now won nine matches on the trot.
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It is the fifth title of the season for the Indian ace and 19th overall while for the former world number one doubles player, Black, it was her third of the season and a staggering 57th overall WTA title.
Black had won the ASB Classic in New Zealand in her comeback tournament with Australia’s Anastasia Rodionova in January after almost a year away from the game following the birth of her first child Lachlan.
Mirza on the other hand had won the New Haven event with Chinese Zheng before teaming up with Black.
Early in the season, she also captured titles in Dubai and Brisbane with American partner Bethanie-Mattek Sands.
