HUBER SET TO REGAIN SONY ERICSSON WTA TOUR TOP DOUBLES RANKING

Written by: Wire Services on 30th July 2010

Liezel Huber hitting the ball, Acura Classic

HUBER SET TO REGAIN SONY ERICSSON WTA TOUR TOP DOUBLES RANKING | read this item

ST. PETERSBURG, FL-USA – American Liezel Huber is set to regain the No.1 spot on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour doubles rankings on Monday, August 2nd when the updated rankings are released. After eight weeks at No.3, the 33-year-old will climb into the top spot for the second time in her career.

One of six players in Tour history to hold the doubles No.1 ranking for more than 100 weeks, Huber will increase her total number of weeks at No.1 to 135, through the week of August 2. Only Martina Navratilova (237 weeks) and Cara Black (163 weeks) have held the doubles No.1 ranking for more weeks than Huber.

After holding the joint doubles No.1 ranking with Black from November 12, 2007 to April 18, 2010 (127 weeks), Huber became the stand-alone No.1 doubles player after capturing her 42nd career title at Family Circle Cup in Charleston, SC-USA with Nadia Petrova, where she remained for a further seven weeks until the Williams sisters grasped the top ranking by winning their fourth consecutive Grand Slam doubles title at Roland Garros. With the Williams sisters not defending their Bank of the West Classic doubles title, their doubles ranking points total will drop below Huber.

“It’s a very nice surprise,” said Huber, currently playing with Lindsay Davenport at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford-CA, USA. “Certainly, being No.1 is the goal of all players. I’m going to keep working hard, stay focused, try to maintain good health and good form through the rest of the season, and we will see how the rankings turn out at the end of the year.”

“Liezel is one of the greatest doubles champions in the history of the Tour,” said Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. “Regaining the No.1 world ranking is yet another accolade in a tremendously successful doubles career.”

Huber has won 42 career doubles titles, including three this year – ASB Classic (Auckland) and Medibank International (Sydney) both with Black and Family Circle Cup in Charleston, SC-USA with Petrova. Huber owns four Grand Slam doubles titles (2005 Wimbledon, 2007 Australian Open, 2007 Wimbledon, 2008 US Open; all w/Black) and two Sony Ericsson Championships (2007, 2008; both w/Black); she has also helped the US Fed Cup team to back-to-back finals (2009-10).

During Wimbledon, Huber had her hair cut for “Locks of Love” a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. Huber also founded her own foundation, Liezel’s Cause, which provides everyday necessities and assistance to victims of Hurricane Katrina and Rita, helping families get back on their feet.

Topics: Bank Of The West, Bank Of The West Classic, Cara Black, Career Doubles Titles, Career One, Career Title, Classic Doubles, Doubles Player, Family Circle Cup, Grand Slam, Liezel Huber, Lindsay Davenport, Martina Navratilova, Medibank International, Nice Surprise, Roland Garros, Sony Ericsson Wta Tour, St Petersburg Fl, Stanford Ca Usa, Williams Sisters