Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/366594
20 ITFWORLD SUMMER 2014 ROLAND GARROS AND WIMBLEDON After the departures of Williams and Li, Sharapova was the favourite to win Wimbledon but fell to Angelique Kerber in the fourth round. Sabine Lisicki won four matches in a row for the first time since finishing runner-up 12 months previously to the now retired Marion Bartoli before going down in the quarterfinals to halep, who lost to Bouchard next time out. The Czech Republic provided three of the four quarterfinalists in the bottom half of the draw as Kvitova reached her first Grand Slam final since her Wimbledon victory three years previously. Kvitova had grown in confidence following her third-round win over Venus Williams in one of the matches of the tournament. her 63 60 victory over Bouchard in the final was a stunning display of power and precision. The 20-year-old Canadian was never given a chance to find her rhythm as Kvitova attacked her with a barrage of attacking ground strokes which flew off the slick surface. The 24-year-old Czech's return to top form will leave her as one of the favourites for the US Open, though the likes of Bouchard and halep will relish another chance to push the case for the next generation. The men's doubles competitions produced first-time champions at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin triumphed at the French Open, beating Spain's Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez 63 76 in the final. They were the first French pair to win the men's doubles at Roland Garros since Yannick Noah and henri Leconte in 1984. Canada's Vasek Pospisil and Jack Sock, of the United States, had never played together until Wimbledon but enjoyed a wonderful run. In the final they beat Bob and Mike Bryan 76 67 64 36 75. Asked what the secret was to beating the Bryan twins, Pospisil said: "Close your eyes and hope you play the best tennis of your life." The women's doubles titles both went to established pairs. Su-Wei hsieh, of Chinese Taipei, and Shuai Peng, of China, who won five titles last year including Wimbledon, triumphed in Paris, beating Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci 64 61 in the final. Errani and Vinci went to Wimbledon needing only the All England 20 ITFWORLD SUMMER 2014 Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Julien B enneteau were home doubles champions in Paris Garbine Muguruza burst onto the scene at Roland Garros Wimbledon marked Lucie Safarova's first major semifinal Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci completed a career doubles Grand Slam in SW19 Simona Halep fought valiantly in her first Grand Slam final