Zimbabwe tennis ace Cara Black made a memorable comeback since giving birth last year as she won the ASB Classic Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour doubles title with her Australian partner Anastasia Rodionova in Auckland, New Zealand yesterday. REPORT BY MICHAEL MADYIRA
Posting a 2-6 6-2 10-5 victory in one hour eight minutes over top seeds Yaroslava Shvedova and Julia Goerges, Black bagged her 55th WTA doubles title while it was fifth for former world number one Rodionova.
On their way to the final, Cara and Rodionova swatted aside second seeds Marina Erakovic and Heather Watson in the quarterfinals, before sailing past number three seeds Liga Dekmeijere and Megan Moulton Levy in the semis.
A proud mom to eight-month-old son Lachlan Alexander Stephens, Cara was joined by the toddler during her crowning moment on the hard surface of the ASB Tennis Arena.
“It’s a fairytale. It’s pretty amazing,” said Black after winning the US$235 000 prize money tournament. The 33-year-old won the same event in 2010 with American partner Liezel Huber and will again team up with Rodionova in the Australian Open in her adopted new home Melbourne later on.
