 Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Jun 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Jun 2005 | Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Jun 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Jun 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Jun 2005 |  Photographer: Susan Mullane
Date: 04 Jun 2005 |
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| 04 Jun 2005 - Roland Garros, Paris - Eleanor Preston | |
| Szavay takes first blood in double battle with Olaru |
Hungary’s Agnes Szavay joined forces with Viktoria Azarenka to win the girls’ doubles title and take the first step towards what she hopes will a memorable double at Roland Garros.
Szavay and Azarenka beat Amina Rakhim and Raluca-Ioana Olaru 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 to take the title, a victory which means Szavay takes first blood in her personal rivalry with Olaru, who she plays in the girls’ singles final on Sunday.
The pair raced to a 4-0 lead only to lose the first set but bounced back from that disappointment to win it in three.
“If you win it too easily it doesn’t make for a very interesting match for the people watching,’ said Azarenka with a laugh. “There were lots of people out there and I think the points were good so they had a nice match to watch.”
“It’s very good to have won the doubles,” said Szavay. “In Australia I lost the doubles and then it put so much pressure on me going into the singles because I was like, ‘you have to win something’. I think maybe Olaru will be feeling that now, I hope so anyway!”
In the boys’ doubles final, Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer and Emiliano Massa joined forces to come from a set down to beat Ukraine’s Sergei Bubka and France’s Jeremy Chardy 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 and score themselves what was a debut grand slam title for both players.
The Argentines, who have played doubles together for over two years were overjoyed with their Roland Garros triumph.
“We didn’t expect to be in the final, we started the week just hoping to play well and see what happened.”
For both boys it was a Grand Slam debut which could not have had a better ending.
“We’ve never played in a Grand Slam before” Massa explained. “Roland Garros is our favourite Grand Slam, so it is just like a dream to win the doubles.”
Szavay and Azarenka’s victory made it back-to-back girls’ doubles title for Azarenka, who won the doubles title at the Australian Open. She had plenty of words for encouragement for Szavay going into the singles final.
“Trust me, you will feel good,” said Azarenka. “I had this feeling after I won the doubles in Melbourne, I was full of confidence and so when I went into the singles final I felt so relaxed. I did my job there and won the title and I think you will too.”
Szavay and Azarenka have not yet decided if they will play together at Wimbledon but after their success in Paris they must be tempted not to break up their winning partnership. “We have to talk about it,” said Azarenka. “We had lots of fun and we were lifting each other when we needed to today.”
While Szavay will take on Olaru again in the girls’ singles on Sunday, Croatia’s Marin Cilic and Holland’s Antal Van der Duim will play the boys’ singles final.
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