Media Release Thursday 13 November 2008

Home , 2006 WTA Tour, 2009 Sony Ericsson Open, Australian Open Series, Cara Black, Liezel Huber, Lisa Raymond

media release Thursday 13 November 2008

Dominant duo to join quality line-up

World number one doubles pair Cara Black and Liezel Huber confirmed their attendance at the Brisbane International today.

The dominant duo will be coming to Brisbane on the back of their Sony Ericsson WTA Tour doubles title at the Khalifa Tennis Complex in Doha.

Cara Black has a close relationship with Australia having married Brett Stephens, a former Fitzroy Football Club player and Pete Sampras fitness coach.

The Zimbabwe-United States pair will join the French Open Champion Ana Ivanovic , reigning Australian Women's Hardcourt Champion Na Li and Daniela Hantuchova in the women’s draw.

The men’s draw is equally as strong with the ATP world number three, Novak Djokovic, and world number seven, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, confirmed to play.

Crowd favourites Marcos Baghdatis, Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet and Mardy Fish have also confirmed with more announcements expected before the player cut off date on the 21 November.

Brisbane International Tournament Director Steve Ayles said “Black and Huber will provide some amazing doubles action this January.”

“They have once again proved that they are in a league of their own in 2008 by retaining the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour doubles title and dominating the women’s circuit.

“With the addition of Black and Huber, the Brisbane International’s line-up will be the strongest of the Australian Open Series.”

Huber and Black’s win at the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour doubles title in Doha was their 12th final of 2008, their 10th doubles title of the year and 22nd overall as a team.

Their successful defence of the title they won in Madrid last year guarantees Black and Huber the number one spot in the world at the close of the 2008 season.

When they finished 2007 co-ranked number one they became only the second team since the inception of computer doubles rankings in 1984 to end a season in that joint position, after Lisa Raymond and Sam Stosur in 2006.

For further media information, please contact: Darren Pearce, Manager – Media, Tennis Australia: +61 3 9914 4230, 0409 506 812 Brooke Boger, Media & PR, Tennis Australia: + 61 3 9914 4138, 0401 561 354 Prue Ryan, Media & PR, Tennis Australia: +61 3 9914 4175, 0419 308 369

media release

The win was Black’s 46th career Sony Ericsson WTA Tour doubles title and Huber’s 34 th and follows on from their first US Open title win and their fourth Grand Slam title overall.

The two have also won Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon (2005, 2007) and at the Australian Open (2007).

Partnering with Rennae Stubbs , Black has also won a Wimbledon Gram Slam in 2004 and has three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles to her name.

Huber, a native of South Africa, became a US citizen in 2007, a day she calls the proudest of her life.

Tickets are now on sale for the Brisbane International through Ticketek , with reserved stadium seating starting at just $24.90.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketek.com.au or 1300 888 104.

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Brisbane International 2009, presented by Mirvac in association with Queensland Events, will take place at the Queensland Tennis Centre, Brisbane from January 4 to 11, 2009.