Rennae Stubbs finishes her tennis career

Rennae Stubbs, just shy of her 40th birthday, has retired from professional tennis. Stubbs, the longest-serving member of the Australian Fed Cup team, played her final match today in Hobart. She and Anastasia Rodionova lost to the Italian team of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in the Fed Cup World Group quarterfinals. After the match, there was a ceremony honoring Stubbs, and there was also a ceremony honoring her at this year's Australian Open.

A doubles specialist, Stubbs won the Wimbledon championship twice--in 2001 with Lisa Raymond, and in 2004 with Cara Black. She won the Australian Open championship in 2000 with Raymond, and the U.S. Open title in 2001, also with Raymond. Stubbs and Raymond were the French Open runners-up in 2002. Stubbs was also on the runner-up team (with Sam Stosur) at the Wimbledon championship in 2009, and at the U.S. Open (with Brenda Shultz-McCarthy) in 1995. She was nine times a semifinalist at major tournaments. In mixed doubles, Stubbs, playing with Jared Palmer, won the 2000 Australian Open; she and Todd Woodbridge won the U.S. Open title in 2001.

In 2001, Stubbs and Raymond won the WTA Championships. Stubbs is the holder of 60 WTA Tour titles, and enjoyed a number 1 ranking in doubles in 2000. Stubbs played for the Australian Fed Cup team for 17 years, and and retires with a 28-9 record in Fed Cup doubles play. Stubbs was also a member of the winning World Team Tennis team on four occasions, and in 2008, she was given the Female Most Valuable Player and the Finals Most Valuable Player awards.

Known for her colorful arguments with chair umpires, Stubbs has always spoken out when others were silent. When the no-ad, super-tiebreak rules were introduced to WTA Tour doubles play, it was Stubbs who led the outcry (to no avail) against the changes. For several years now, Stubbs has worked as a tennis broadcaster in Australia, and has done a very good job. Fortunately, we have much more to look forward to in that area, but the doubles courts just won't be the same without the sight of Rennae rushing to the net.

Melbourne miscellany

Caroline Wozniacki had a go at playing cricket.

The Heineken Beer Garden is featuring a brass band whose members are dressed in kangaroo costumes.

Todd Woodbridge will never again send a text message to Rennae Stubbs.

I really need for Martina Navratilova and Lindsay Davenport to stop saying "disinterested" when they mean "uninterested."

Sam Stosur's blue-framed Oakleys make the best possible finishing touch to that nice Lacoste dress.

Speaking of fashion, Dannli Minogue dressed Victoria Azarenka in her new Project D line.

Alicia Molik is taking a break to get married, but will be playing at Indian Wells. (Note to the Montreal Gazette: Molik's marital status is not going to affect her volleys.)

Miscellany

Sabine Lisicki, the number 2 seed in this week's 75k Shrewsbury ITF tournament, was upset in the second round by Heather Watson. Watson lost to 8th seed Eva Birnerova in the quarterfinals.

Rosie Casals talks with Adam Lincoln.

And here is David Rosenberg's interview with Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs.

Dinara Safina recently had a coaching session with her brother, Marat.

The city of Opitter, Belgium, where Kim Clijsters grew up, has honored her with a fountain and sculpture.

Chanda Rubin and Katrina Adams have been nominated to serve on the USTA board of directors. Adams is already a director at large.

Raymond & Stubbs upset in 1st round of Pilot Pen

Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs were upset in the first round in New Haven today by the ad hoc team of Raquel Kops-Jones and Alla Kudryavtseva. Kops-Jones and Kudryavtseva defeated the 2nd seeds 5-7, 6-2, 10-5.

Kirilenko wins consecutive doubles titles

Last week, Maria Kirilenko and partner Zheng Jie won the doubles championship in San Diego. Today, the Russian, paired with Victoria Azarenka, won the championship in Cincinnati. Azarenka and Kirilenko defeated 4th seeds Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs 7-6, 7-6.

Raymond and Stubbs upset in Stanford

The top-seeded doubles team in Stanford, Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs, were upset yesterday in the first round by Raquel Kops-Jones and Sarah Borwell. Kops-Jones and Borwell defeated the 1st seeds 6-0, 4-6, 12-10.

5th seed Maria Sharapova won a close (6-4, 7-5) match against Zheng Jie, and Melanie Oudin defeated 2008 Stanford champion Aleksandria Wozniak 6-7, 7-5, 6-3. Oudin was down 1-5 in the second set, and saved a match point, and she was also down 1-3 in the third.

Wimbledon miscellany

Rennae Stubbs is blogging from Wimbledon.

Serena Williams working on her curtsy.

Venus Williams is working on her shimmy; her Wimbledon dress was inspired by Tina Turner.

The chief groundsman at Wimbledon says the height of the bounce has changed, but not the speed of the ball.

For the first time in history, Wimbledon has a female chief umpire (via Forty Deuce)

Lindsay Davenport is working as a commentator for the BBC during Wimbledon.

Raymond and Stubbs win Eastbourne championship

Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs, seeded 4th at the AEGON International, won the championship today in Eastbourne. Raymond and Stubbs defeated 2nd seeds Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik 6-2, 2-6, 13-11. Peschke and Srebotnik held two match points in the super-tiebreak.

Azarenka retires in her first Charleston match

Victoria Azarenka, the 3rd seed in Charleston, won her first set against Christina McHale this morning in the Family Circle Cup Stadium. However, at 6-2, 2-2, Azarenka retired because of the hamstring injury that caused her to retire in the Marbella quarterfinals last week.

Also retiring was Ayumi Morita, who sustained a left adductor muscle strain while she was playing Daniela Hantuchova. The match ended with Hantuchova leading 6-4, 2-0. And though she finished the match, Bethanie Mattek-Sands began cramping in both thighs in her third set against 9th seed Alona Bondarenko. Bondarenko won, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the third round with a straight set win over Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, and 6th seed Nadia Petrova advanced with a straight set win over Vania King.

An enthusiastic Australian crowd was on hand to deliver cries of "Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi oi oi!" during Sophie Ferguson's match, but their enthusiasm wasn't enough to get Ferguson past Melanie Oudin. The 13th seed won, 6-2, 6-4, and thereby booked a date with countrywoman Christina McHale in the third round.

In doubles action, Ekaterina Dzehalevich and Olga Savchuk led 3rd seeds Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs 5-0, 40-0 in the first round. At that point, Raymond and Stubbs began to turn things around a bit, though Dzehalevich and Savchuk took the first set 6-3. Raymond and Stubbs then became much more aggressive, and took the second set 6-1. But Dzehalevich and Savchuk made the super-tiebreak a dramatic one, saving three consecutive match points at 6-9, and then saving a fourth match point before losing the tiebreak 10-12.

Mattek-Sands recovered from the cramping episode and played her first round doubles match with partner Yan Zi. The third seeds defeated Oudin and Shenay Perry 6-3, 6-4.

Fed Cup miscellany

Sandra Harwitt is blogging from France this weekend, and there are other writers who are contributing to the Fed Cup blog, which is worth reading. For example, we learn from the Fed Cup blog that Craig Willis, the master of ceremonies in Adelaide, remarked that Rennae Stubbs has been playing in Fed Cup for so long that--when she started--the Dead Sea was merely sick. Ba dum chhh...

We also learn from the blog that former French player Sophie Amiach, vice president of Fed Cup France, is selling the second edition of the softcover book, Les Joueuses Francaises De Fed Cup, at the matches this weekend The book, which is sponsored by Lacoste, will also be available on the FFT website.

And speaking of the French, Amelie Mauresmo is in the stands this weekend, cheering the French Fed Cup team.

"I had my chances in the second set, but psychology played a big part in the final outcome," Ana Ivanovic said about her Fed Cup match against Svetlana Kuznetsova, which she lost.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands' victory over Alize Cornet is her first-ever Fed Cup win.

Raymond & Stubbs, together again

No one said the "l" word, or even the "g" word, but tonight's lengthy and very entertaining Tennis Channel feature on Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs was as much about their former romantic relationship as it was about their history of playing doubles together. With the world of women's pro tennis constantly straining itself to broadcast "No lesbians here!" in a variety of ways, it was a surprise to see Raymond and Stubbs chatting about their relationship, their breakup, and their enduring love for one another. Even more surprising was that the story was done by a media organization that has made no effort to curb its sexism.

Raymond and Stubbs, together again...

As you always wanted to see them.

Recently, a reader tipped me off to the rumor of a Raymond/Stubbs reunion, but I didn't want to say anything until I had confirmation. Was this inevitable, or is it just what comes of another big turnover in women's doubles?

For those who are new to women's tennis, or who have just stopped keeping up with doubles, here is the short version:

In 2000, Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs won the Australian Open, the first of three majors they would win as a team. They also won the 2001 Sony Ericsson Championships. After the team split, Raymond played with various partners, then settled on Sam Stosur, with whom she also won a number of titles, including two majors.

In the meantime, Stubbs played with various partners, then formed a stable team with Cara Black. They won six titles, including Wimbledon. Stubbs then played with Kveta Peschke, and they won four titles.

At the beginning of 2009, Stosur announced that she and Stubbs would play doubles together, but only during the Australian season. That idea went out the window, and they remained a team all year. Raymond then teamed with Peschke, but then Peschke sustained a serious injury and could not play for much of the season. Stosur and Stubbs did not win any titles, but they qualified for the Sony Ericsson Championships.

The word is that Stosur, a very accomplished doubles player, wants to concentrate on singles now that she has finally made a singles breakthrough. I have no word yet on her doubles schedule.

"We’re both on the same page, trying to be aggressive, and when we’re both in at the net it’s pretty hard to get the ball through us or around us because most people would consider us two of the better volleyers in the world," says Stubbs.

They won't get any disagreement about that.

Spanish team wins Rogers Cup

Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, seeded 6th in Toronto, upset 4th seeds Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs today to win the Rogers Cup. Llagostera Vives and Martinez Sanchez defeated the Australian team 2-6, 7-5, 11-9.

This is the fifth title of the season for the Llagostera Vives and Martinez Sanchez.

Stosur & Stubbs upset Black & Huber to reach Rogers Cup final

3rd seeds Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs upset tops seeds Cara Black and Liezel Huber in Toronto tonight, 3-6, 6-3, 10-7.

Stosur and Stubbs will play 6th seeds Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the final. The Spanish team upset 4th seeds Daniela Hantuchova and Ai Sugiyama 6-4, 6-4.

Williams sisters win Wimbledon doubles title

Not long after they became the Wimbledon champion and finalist in singles, Venus and Serena Williams also took the doubles title. The 4th seeded sisters, who were the defending champions, defeated 3rd seeds Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs, 7-6, 6-4.

This is the Williams sisters' third Wimbledon title.

Black and Huber upset by Williams sisters

Top seeds Cara Black and Liezel Huber gave it all they had, but still won only three games today in their Wimbledon semifinal against Venus and Serena Williams. The Williams sisters posted a score of 6-1, 6-2, and will play Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs in the final. Number 3 seeds Stosur and Stubbs defeated 2nd seeds and French Open champions Anabele Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2.

Black and Huber upset in Eastbourne semifinal

Top seeds and defending champions Cara Black and Liezel Huber were defeated today in the AEGON International semifinals by 4th seeds Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs, 6-4, 7-6. Stosur and Stubbs will meet Amanmuradova and Ai Sugiyama in the final. Akgul Amanmuradova and Sugiyama defeated Vania King and Zheng Jie 6-3, 6-4.

Stosur and Stubbs upset in Rome

The team of Vera Dushevina and Galina Voskoboeva upset the 3rd seeds today in Rome. They defeated Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs 6-3, 6-1.

Meanwhile, the top seeds, Cara Black and Liezel Huber, got a walkover from the Bondarenko sisters because of Katyrena Bondarenko's illness. Also getting a walkover were and Ipek Senoglu and Yaroslava Shvedova. Agnieszka Radwanska and Agnes Szavay withdrew because of Radwanska's lower back sprain.

Stosur and Stubbs out of Indian Wells

The upsets in Indian Wells have been as notable in doubles as in singles, and the latest seed to go--number 4--is the team of Sam Stosur and Rennae Stubbs. They were defeated by Victoria Azarenka and Vera Zvonareva, 6-2, 3-6, 10-7.

What happened to Stosur's and Stubbs' plan to play together only during the Australian season?

Stosur and Peschke swap doubles partners

Sam Stosur will be playing doubles with Rennae Stubbs in the Australian tournaments, but may not play doubles much after January. In the meantime, Stosur's former partner, Lisa Raymond, has decided to team with Kveta Peschke, who has been playing with Stubbs.