2001 Australian Open Tennis Champions
Men's Singles
Wearing
black and white for the first time on court, the normally flamboyant Andre
Agassi won his third Australian Open title by dominating surprise finalist
Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. The American played "smart and steady" tennis,
pretty much like his outfit, and claimed the $473 385 purse. The win brought
him his seventh Grand Slam title, and as defending champion at the Australian Open,
he for the first time won back-to-back in a major tournament.
Women's Singles
Heavy underdog and crowd favourite, Jennifer Capriati, defied all the odds by lifting the women's singles title at the Australian Open. She took on and beat the top seed Martina Hingis in two sets, 6-4, 6-3. Returning from a break away from tennis because of drug problems, the American did the impossible by beating both Lindsay Davenport and Monica Seles to reach the final. Her Swiss opponent was bidding for her sixth Grand Slam title, her first since winning the 1999 Australian Open. The unseeded Capriati said, "I thought: why be nervous? She has everything to lose. Just go for it!" She became one of the most unlikely 2001 Australian Open tennis champions.
Men's Doubles
Home favourite,Tood Woodbridge danced a jig of delight when he and new partner Jonas Bjorkman won the men's doubles at the Australian Open. They beat the hapless duo of Zimbabwean Wayne Black and his German counterpart, David Prinosil, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. Woodbridge equaled his previous partner Mark Woodforde's career haul of 12 Grand Slam victories. Woodbridge won the Australian Open doubles title with Woodforde in 1992 and 1997. The pair also triumphed at the French Open once, six times on the grass courts of Wimbledon and twice at the US Open.
Women's Doubles
The incredible Williams sisters completed a career Grand Slam in women's doubles when they beat Lindsay Davenport and Corina Morariu 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. They won the French Open and the US Open in 1999, and in 2000 they won Wimbledon and took gold at the Sydney Olympics. After the win, elder sister Venus said, "I want to thank the Australian Open committee for giving us a wild card – because our doubles ranking wasn't good enough to get us in the draw." The sisters were unseeded for the event, as they had only played in three tournaments together in 2000 before becoming 2001 Australian Open tennis champions. The Grand Slam title was the 8th for Venus and the 7th for Serena. "I can't imagine playing with anyone else but Serena," said Venus. "I think we love playing with each other. We have a great understanding - I know that no matter what I do, Serena will always be there for me."
Can you predict the winners of the next Australian Open? If so, then you may be successful at tennis betting.
