ZIMBABWEAN tennis star Cara Black came agonisingly close to capturing her second women’s doubles title of the season after losing in the final of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham, England, on Sunday.
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The veteran former world number one doubles player and her partner Marina Erakovic from New Zealand, however, finished as beaten finalists for their third WTA doubles tournament in a row.
Black and Erakovic had a tough day of matches at the Birmingham WTA event, playing both semi-finals and a final overnight.
The duo had already reached finals this year in Madrid and Strasbourg, as well as the quarters at Roland Garros.
They won their rain-postponed semifinal earlier in the day against Kimiko Date-Krumm (Japan) and Arantxa Parra Santonja (Spain) 7-5, 4-6, 10-6. Erakovic and Black lost to Australians Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua 7-5, 6-4 in the final.
Black said the rain delays had ruined their chances of doing well in Birmingham.
“Playing twice in one day isn’t easy, but it’s been like that for everyone this week,” Black said. “That’s just what happens in rain delays.
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“The girls were just too good for us today — we’ll get it next time.” Black now travels down the road to London to prepare for Wimbledon, which starts next week on June 24.
The former Zimbabwe Sportswoman of the Year will be confident of doing well at Wimbledon where she has won two mixed doubles titles in 2004 and 2010 and three women’s doubles titles in 2007, 2005, 2007.
