Rookie pair win title

Playing in their first tournament together, Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova and Alicia Molik of Australia beat former Wimbledon champions Lindsay Davenport and Corina Morariu 6-3 6-4 to win the women's doubles title on Rod Laver Arena at the Australian Open o

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"What a way to start," Molik beamed. "It's pretty amazing, the first time we team up we win a grand slam. We played really great all week and I'm really looking forward to the rest of the year."

Davenport, who will meet Serena Williams in the singles final on Saturday, and Morariu broke for a 2-1 lead in the first set before U.S. Open champion Kuznetsova and Molik won five of the next six games.

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Morariu, who was diagnosed with promyelocytic leukemia in May 2001, had her serve broken twice in the opening set and once in the second and Molik held her nerve, saving two break points to serve out for victory.

For Kuznetsova, the victory was doubly sweet as Virginia Ruano-Pascual and Paola Suarez beat her and fellow Russian Elena Likhovsteva in the final 12 months ago.

"It doesn't often happen that you just play first time with somebody and you get to understand each other so well," the Russian said.

"Sometimes before going on the court, before finals of grand slams, singles and doubles, I felt like I was going to win. Not like I relax, but I had the feeling because we were so confident in our doubles team, I guess."

Molik said she and Kuznetsova planned to team up for the rest of the year.

"Both Svetlana and I, we train for singles," she said.

"Where we can, we're going to play doubles. It's impossible to play every week because I think it's difficult to ask that of your body week in and week out. When you have to play doubles late at night, it throws you off for the next day.

"For me, singles is the priority but I love doubles equally as much. So I'm hoping if we keep winning like this, then we don't have to play doubles every week. That's the plan."

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