Bahamas News
09-11-04, - 10:29 PM
Mark Knowles and Canadian Daniel Nestor win U.S. Open doubles title
Canadian Press
Friday, September 10, 2004
NEW YORK (CP) - Canadian Daniel Nestor earned his second Grand Slam title as he and Bahamian partner Mark Knowles won the U.S. Open men's doubles championship in style Friday.
http://www.bahamasissues.com/images/news/mark_knowles.jpg
Third-seeded Nestor, a Toronto left-hander, and Knowles were dominant in defeating No. 13 Leander Paes of India and David Rikl of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3. "We had a lot of heartbreak over the years, losing a lot of finals, so this feels really great: winning," Nestor said.
Nestor and Knowles won the Australian Open in 2002 but have lost six other Grand Slam finals: the Australian Open in 2003, both Wimbledon and the French Open in 2002, the U.S. Open and French Open in 1998 and Australian Open in 1995.
But Nestor and Knowles were unbeatable Friday. They never faced a break point Friday, while breaking their opponents' serves three times, including Rikl's in the final game.
"I had a lot of help from my partner," Nestor said. "He played great."
Knowles was on fire in the final, tracking down balls and angling returns. Nestor moved his team to championship point with a wicked shot at the feet of Riko.
Knowles sealed the win with a beautiful lob over the heads of Rikl and Paes at the net, landing right inside the baseline.
"They played magic today," Paes said. "They were definitely two paces too fast for us today."
The title under his belt, Nestor climbed on a flower bed to kiss his fiancee Natasha Gavrilovic of Toronto after getting a bearhug from Knowles.
Friday's victory was worth $400,000 US to the champions, pushing Nestor's career winnings to some $4.75 million. Former heavyweight champion George Foreman presented the winners' cheque.
"You do doubles the way they ought to be done," Foreman told the champions.
Nestor and Australian partner Rennae Stubbs split $30,000 in reaching the semifinals of the mixed doubles.
Nestor, 32, and Knowles, 33, both celebrated their birthdays last Saturday. They have been teammates since the mid-90s with the exception of 1999 and 2000 when Nestor joined forces with fellow Canadian Sebastien Lareau to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney.
Nestor's victory is a third Grand Slam for Canada. Lareau and American Alex O'Brien won the U.S. Open doubles title in 1999.
Nestor and Knowles split their matches against Paes and Rikl last year, winning at the Tennis Masters in Hamburg, but losing at the Pacific Life Open.
Nestor and Knowles defeated unseeded Frenchmen Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) in the semifinals after knocking off Olympic champions Fernando Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu of Chile in the quarter-finals.
Paes, who won three Slam titles with Mahesh Bhupathi, missed last year's U.S. Open with a parasitic infection that caused a brain abscess.
"Last year, I went through a tough time," Paes said. "I was in the hospital, trying to combat a life-threatening illness, and it's a great joy to be at the U.S. Open this year."
Canadian Press
Friday, September 10, 2004
NEW YORK (CP) - Canadian Daniel Nestor earned his second Grand Slam title as he and Bahamian partner Mark Knowles won the U.S. Open men's doubles championship in style Friday.
http://www.bahamasissues.com/images/news/mark_knowles.jpg
Third-seeded Nestor, a Toronto left-hander, and Knowles were dominant in defeating No. 13 Leander Paes of India and David Rikl of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3. "We had a lot of heartbreak over the years, losing a lot of finals, so this feels really great: winning," Nestor said.
Nestor and Knowles won the Australian Open in 2002 but have lost six other Grand Slam finals: the Australian Open in 2003, both Wimbledon and the French Open in 2002, the U.S. Open and French Open in 1998 and Australian Open in 1995.
But Nestor and Knowles were unbeatable Friday. They never faced a break point Friday, while breaking their opponents' serves three times, including Rikl's in the final game.
"I had a lot of help from my partner," Nestor said. "He played great."
Knowles was on fire in the final, tracking down balls and angling returns. Nestor moved his team to championship point with a wicked shot at the feet of Riko.
Knowles sealed the win with a beautiful lob over the heads of Rikl and Paes at the net, landing right inside the baseline.
"They played magic today," Paes said. "They were definitely two paces too fast for us today."
The title under his belt, Nestor climbed on a flower bed to kiss his fiancee Natasha Gavrilovic of Toronto after getting a bearhug from Knowles.
Friday's victory was worth $400,000 US to the champions, pushing Nestor's career winnings to some $4.75 million. Former heavyweight champion George Foreman presented the winners' cheque.
"You do doubles the way they ought to be done," Foreman told the champions.
Nestor and Australian partner Rennae Stubbs split $30,000 in reaching the semifinals of the mixed doubles.
Nestor, 32, and Knowles, 33, both celebrated their birthdays last Saturday. They have been teammates since the mid-90s with the exception of 1999 and 2000 when Nestor joined forces with fellow Canadian Sebastien Lareau to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Sydney.
Nestor's victory is a third Grand Slam for Canada. Lareau and American Alex O'Brien won the U.S. Open doubles title in 1999.
Nestor and Knowles split their matches against Paes and Rikl last year, winning at the Tennis Masters in Hamburg, but losing at the Pacific Life Open.
Nestor and Knowles defeated unseeded Frenchmen Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) in the semifinals after knocking off Olympic champions Fernando Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu of Chile in the quarter-finals.
Paes, who won three Slam titles with Mahesh Bhupathi, missed last year's U.S. Open with a parasitic infection that caused a brain abscess.
"Last year, I went through a tough time," Paes said. "I was in the hospital, trying to combat a life-threatening illness, and it's a great joy to be at the U.S. Open this year."