Black and Huber Surge Into Doubles Semifinals

The only match of the day on the Grandstand featured an exciting quarterfinal doubles match pitting Cara Black, the top doubles player in the world and Liezel Huber against Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand and Colombia’s Catalina Castano.

Black, who is from Zimbabwe and Huber are the number one seeded doubles team at the 2007 Acura Classic.

Huber, playing in her first tournament since becoming a U.S. citizen, served to open the set, but failed to hold serve.

 In the second game, it looked as though Black/Huber would break Castano as the Colombian was down 0-40. However,  Castano/Tanasugarn won three points in a row to get the game to deuce.  In the deciding point under the new No-Ad scoring rule, Castano won the game by blasting a forehand down the line to hold.

Black/Huber finally got a break in the fourth game and got back on serve when Huber served a love game.

At 5-2 in Black and Huber’s favor, Castano and Tanasugarn took advantage of several unforced errors from the top seeds, which allowed them to make the score 5-3.

Serving for the first set, Huber took a 40-15 lead and went on to serve out the set.

With both teams making beautiful shots with accurate volleys at the net, the score stayed on serve until the fifth game when Castano lost her serve to fall behind 3-2.

Tanasugarn and Castano may have been feeling the effects of their late night three-set victory the night before that ended shortly past 11:30 p.m.  They dropped the next two games as Black and Huber extended their lead to 5-2.

Black served for the match, but at 30-15, Tanasugarn ripped a clean forehand winner down the line to get the score to 30-30.  Black dropped her serve later when she double faulted on break point.

With Castano serving to stay in the match, Tanasugarn framed a high lob to give Black and Huber the victory.

• Black has won 32 career doubles titles on the tour.
• Black reached the fourth round of the 2001 French Open.
• Black is a three-time Acura Classic doubles champion having won the title in 2001, 2004 and 2006.
• Huber is ranked fourth in the world in doubles.
• Huber recently became an American citizen.
• Huber has represented South Africa in the Olympics and South Africa.
• Huber is making her fifth career Acura Classic appearance.
• Castano has represented Colombia in the Olympics and Fed Cup.
• Castano is ranked 142 in doubles.
• Tanasugarn is ranked 123 in doubles.
• Tanasugarn has represented Thailand in the Olympics and Fed Cup

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