Black-Ullyett win men's doubles

Zimbabweans Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett upset second seeds Bob and Mike Bryan 6-4 6-4 to win the Australian Open men's doubles on Saturday.

The fifth seeds broke the Bryan twins once in each set to clinch their second Grand Slam title together, completing victory without dropping a set in the tournament.

Having broken for 3-2 in the second set, Ullyett held his nerve to serve out for victory, taking the title on their fifth match point.

"I'd like to dedicate this victory to my father (Robert), and to Wayne's father (Donald)," Ullyett said. "I lost my father in October and Wayne lost his four years ago on the same day.

"He used to get me out of bed from the age of five. He always gave me a big push. I know Wayne's dad was the same. Without them, we'd maybe not have pursued tennis.

After breaking once to win the first set, the fifth seeds repeated the feat in fifth game of the second set before forcing two match points on Mike Bryan's serve at 5-3.

The Americans saved both but at 5-4, Ullyett moved to 40-0 on his serve and the Zimbabwean pair thought they'd won the title when a return was initially called out, only for the umpire to overrule it good.

But though the Bryans then saved a fourth match point, Black and Ullyett finally clinched victory at the fifth time of asking.

"That last game... I was celebrating and then had to do it all over again," Ullyett said.

"The first (Grand Slam, the 2001 U.S. Open) was great, I think. But this one, we've backed it up with another one, feels really good to me."

Black, the reigning Wimbledon mixed doubles champion with sister Cara, said their rivalry with the Bryan twins was good for the game.

"It's fun playing them," he said. "We've got to be at our best to play them. I think maybe they have to be as well. We just have some great battles.

"They're definitely great for the game of doubles. Definitely the last couple of years, I think they've actually taken doubles up a notch or two and everybody's had to try and catch them a little bit.

"They bring so much energy to the court and if we can just rival that energy with them, it makes for great encounters. So hopefully we'll be having a lot of bashes with them over the years."

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