 Sugiyama and Clijsters were the number two seeds |
Second seeds Kim Clijsters and Ai Sugiyama won the women's doubles 6-4 6-4 to claim their first Wimbledon title. The Belgian-Japanese pair beat top seeds Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suarez in a repeat result of last month's French Open final.
The winning pair were runners-up in 2001 while Sugiyama also lost in the 2000 final when partnered by Julie Halard-Decugis.
It was a second successive Wimbledon final defeat for Ruano Pascual and Suarez, who lost to the Williams sisters last year.
And it was the Spanish-Argentine pair's sixth consecutive Grand Slam doubles final and their third defeat in a row.
Twenty-year-old Clijsters, who was watched by boyfriend Lleyton Hewitt, and 28-year-old Sugiyama share the first prize of �194,250.
Clijsters was also seeded two in the singles and knocked out Sugiyama in the fourth round on her way to the semi-finals.
The Belgian said the doubles win made up in part for her defeat in the singles semi-finals.
"It's a big thing in itself. To be a Wimbledon champion in doubles is great," she said.
"I was disappointed after the Venus match, but it's a different tournament, singles and doubles. So I'm definitely very, very excited about this win."
MMIX
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