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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport

Samantha Stosur ends 13-year Australian Open hoodoo to win women's doubles crown with Shuai Zhang

Champion: Samantha Stosur and partner Shuai Zhang won the Australian Open women's doubles in straight sets. (Picture: Getty Images)

Samantha Stosur ended her 13-year wait for a Australian Open title after triumphing in the women's doubles with partner Shuai Zhang.

The Australian and her Chinese partner overcame defending champions Timea Babos and Kristina Mladenovic in straight sets, winning 6-3, 6-4.

It was her first Grand Slam title since the US Open in 2011, while for Zhang it was her first Major doubles title.

The 34-year-old had reached the Australian Open final back in 2006 but she and partner Lisa Raymond were defeated on that occasion.

The pair looked to be in trouble early on when they were broken in the first set, going 1-3 down.

But Stosur and Zhang dug in, responding immediately to break back and went on to win five games in a row to take the first set.

The second set brought about some high quality tennis, with pulsating rallies at the net and from the baseline, and it looked to be close at 3-3.

However, Stosur and Zhang broke and held to take a 5-3 lead before saving a break point on their own serve to seal an emphatic victory.

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