Liezel Huber

Liezel Huber

Liezel Huber at the 2007 Acura Classic
Country  South Africa
 United States
Residence Houston, Texas, U.S.
Born August 21, 1976 (1976-08-21) (age 35)
Durban, South Africa
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Turned pro 1993
Plays Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money $5,463,343
Singles
Career record 175–159
Career titles 0 WTA, 0 ITF
Highest ranking No. 131 (29 March 1999)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open Q3 (2002)
French Open 2R (1998)
Wimbledon Q2 (2002)
US Open 1R (1998)
Doubles
Career record 694–336
Career titles 48 WTA, 11 ITF
Highest ranking No. 1 (12 November 2007)
Current ranking No. 1 (7 November 2011)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open W (2007)
French Open F (2005)
Wimbledon W (2005, 2007)
US Open W (2008, 2011)
Other Doubles tournaments
WTA Championships W (2007, 2008, 2011)
Olympic Games QF (2008)
Mixed Doubles
Career titles 2 
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open F (2005)
French Open W (2009)
Wimbledon F (2001)
US Open W (2010)
Last updated on: 27 November 2011.

Liezel Huber (née Horn; born August 21, 1976, Durban, South Africa) is a professional tennis player who competes for, resides in, and is a naturalized citizen of the United States. Huber has won four Grand Slam titles in women's doubles with partner Cara Black, one with Lisa Raymond, and two mixed doubles titles with Bob Bryan.  On November 12, 2007, she became the co-World No. 1 in Doubles with Cara Black. On April 19, 2010, Huber became the sole No. 1 for the first time in her career.

At age 15, she moved to the United States from South Africa to attend the Van Der Meer Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, South Carolina in 1992. Huber has since resided in the U.S.[1] She is married to Tony Huber, an American citizen. In 2005, she started a foundation, Liezel's Cause to raise money and gather basic supplies to assist the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

She competed for the United States in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in doubles, partnering with former world number 1 (both in singles and doubles) Lindsay Davenport; the pair lost in the quarterfinals.

Contents

Career

Liezel Huber is primarily a doubles specialist, having achieved one of the greatest careers in this discipline.  She has won 59 women's doubles titles in her career, of which 48 are on the WTA Tour and 11 on the ITF Women's Circuit.  In singles, her greatest result in her career was reaching to the quarterfinals at the tournament in Pattaya City in 2001, where she lost to Slovakian Henrieta Nagyová.  She participated in two Grand Slam singles main draws, losing to Lindsay Davenport in the second round of the 1998 French Open.  She lost in the 1999 US Open first round to Raluca Sandu.  Her highest singles ranking was World No. 131, which she achieved on the 29th of March, 1999. She enjoyed the majority of her first 8 years on tour on the ITF Circuit.

Huber has enjoyed successful women's partnerships with Ai Sugiyama, Martina Navrátilová, Lindsay Davenport, Cara Black, Sania Mirza, Nadia Petrova, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, María José Martínez Sánchez, and Lisa Raymond.  Huber has reached at least one Grand Slam women's doubles final for the last seven years, since 2004.  Huber has also been in the final of all four Grand Slams, winning in all except for the French Open.  She has won a total of five Grand Slam women's doubles titles with three partners in ten finals with four partners, and finished as a titlist in two of her five mixed doubles finals. 

Huber and her Zimbabwean partner Black made up what many tennis experts regard as one of the greatest women's doubles teams in history between mid-2005. and early 2010. Together, the pair reached seven women's doubles finals, winning four.  The duo won a total of 29 titles together on the WTA Tour.  The partnership suddenly broke up in April of 2010.[2]

Huber has also enjoyed success in mixed doubles, winning two titles with American men's doubles legend Bob Bryan, at the 2009 French Open and 2010 US Open.  She reached her first career mixed final with Bob's brother Mike at the 2001 Wimbledon Championships, and two additional finals, at the 2005 Australian Open with Kevin Ullyett, and at the 2008 US Open with Jamie Murray.

Liezel Huber has also enjoyed impressive success in the Fed Cup national competition.  She logged a 9–3 record on the South Africa Fed Cup team, with all but one match being in doubles.  Huber is now a major member of the United States Fed Cup team, compiling a 6–2 record in doubles play.  In the competition, Huber has played with Julie Ditty, Vania King, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, and Melanie Oudin.

Grand Slam finals

Doubles: 10 (5-5)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents in the final Score in the final
Runner-Up 2004 Wimbledon Grass Ai Sugiyama Cara Black
Rennae Stubbs		 6–3, 7–6(5)
Runner-Up 2005 French Open Clay Cara Black Virginia Ruano Pascual
Paola Suárez		 4–6, 6–3, 6–3
Winner 2005 Wimbledon Grass Cara Black Svetlana Kuznetsova
Amélie Mauresmo		 6–2, 6–1
Winner 2007 Australian Open Hard Cara Black Chan Yung-jan
Chuang Chia-jung		 6–4, 6–7(4), 6–1
Winner 2008 Wimbledon Grass Cara Black Katarina Srebotnik
Ai Sugiyama		 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
Winner 2008 US Open Hard Cara Black Lisa Raymond
Samantha Stosur		 6–3, 7–6(8)
Runner-Up 2009 US Open Hard Cara Black Serena Williams
Venus Williams		 6–2, 6–2
Runner-Up 2010 Australian Open Hard Cara Black Serena Williams
Venus Williams		 6–4, 6–3
Runner-Up 2010 US Open Hard Nadia Petrova Vania King
Yaroslava Shvedova		 2–6, 6–4, 7–6(4)
Winner 2011 US Open Hard Lisa Raymond Vania King
Yaroslava Shvedova		 4–6, 7–6(5), 7–6(3)

Mixed doubles: 5 (2-3)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents in the final Score in the final
Runner-up 2001 Wimbledon Grass Mike Bryan Leoš Friedl
Daniela Hantuchová		 4–6, 6–3, 6–2
Runner-up 2005 Australian Open Hard Kevin Ullyett Samantha Stosur
Scott Draper		 6–2, 2–6, [10–6]
Runner-up 2008 US Open Hard Jamie Murray Leander Paes
Cara Black		 7–6(6), 6–4
Winner 2009 French Open Clay Bob Bryan Vania King
Marcelo Melo		 5–7, 7–6(5), [10–7]
Winner 2010 US Open Hard Bob Bryan Květa Peschke
Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi		 6–4, 6–4

WTA Tour Finals

Doubles 81 (48–33)

Legend: Before 2009 Legend: Starting in 2009
Grand Slam tournaments (5/5)
Olympic Gold (0/0)
WTA Championships (3/1)
Tier I (6/9) Premier Mandatory (1/1)
Tier II (13/7) Premier 5 (5/0)
Tier III (6/4) Premier (4/4)
Tier IV & V (3/1) International (2/1)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents in the final Score in the final
Runner-up 1. 19 July 1998 Warsaw Clay Karin Kschwendt Olga Lugina
Karina Habšudová		 7–6(2), 7–5
Runner-up 2. 12 November 2000 Kuala Lampur Hard Vanessa Webb Henrieta Nagyová
Sylvia Plischke		 6–4, 7–6(4)
Winner 1. 23 September 2001 Tokyo Hard Cara Black Kim Clijsters
Ai Sugiyama		 6–1, 6–3
Winner 2. 7 October 2001 Tokyo Hard Rachel McQuillan Janet Lee
Wynne Prakusya		 6–2, 6–0
Winner 3. 14 October 2001 Shanghai Hard Lenka Němečková Evie Dominikovic
Tamarine Tanasugarn		 6–0, 7–5
Runner-up 3. 11 November 2001 Pattaya City Hard Wynne Prakusya Asa Carlsson
Iroda Tulyaganova		 4–6, 6–3, 6–3
Winner 4. 5 January 2002 Auckland Hard Nicole Arendt Květa Hrdličková
Henrieta Nagyová		 7–5, 6–4
Winner 5. 30 March 2003 Miami Hard Magdalena Maleeva Shinobu Asagoe
Nana Miyagi		 6–4, 3–6, 7–5
Winner 6. 6 April 2003 Sarasota Clay Martina Navrátilová Shinobu Asagoe
Nana Miyagi		 7–6(8), 6–3
Winner 7. 4 May 2003 Warsaw Clay Magdalena Maleeva Eleni Daniilidou
Francesca Schiavone		 3–6, 6–4, 6–2
Winner 8. 24 May 2003 Madrid Clay Jill Craybas Rita Grande
Angelique Widjaja		 6–4, 7–6(6)
Winner 9. 26 Ocotber 2003 Linz Hard (i) Ai Sugiyama Marion Bartoli
Silvia Farina Elia		 6–1, 7–6(6)
Runner-up 4. 11 January 2004 Gold Coast Hard Magdalena Maleeva Svetlana Kuznetsova
Elena Likhovtseva		 6–3, 6–4
Winner 10. 21 February 2004 Hyderabad Hard Sania Mirza Li Ting
Sun Tiantian		 7–6(1), 6–4
Runner-up 5. 3 July 2004 Wimbledon Grass Ai Sugiyama Cara Black
Rennae Stubbs		 6–3, 7–6(5)
Runner-up 6. 8 August 2004 Montreal Hard Tamarine Tanasugarn Ai Sugiyama
Shinobu Asagoe		 6–0, 6–3
Runner-up 7. 7 November 2004 Phildaelphia Hard (i) Corina Morariu Lisa Raymond
Alicia Molik		 7–5, 6–4
Runner-up 8. 26 February 2005 Doha Hard Cara Black Francesca Schiavone
Alicia Molik		 6–3, 6–4
Runner-up 9. 2 May 2005 Berlin Clay Cara Black Vera Zvonareva
Elena Likhovtseva		 4–6, 6–4, 6–3
Winner 11. 9 May 2005 Rome Clay Cara Black Maria Kirilenko
Anabel Medina Garrigues		 6–0, 4–6, 6–1
Runner-up 10. 4 June 2005 French Open Clay Cara Black Virginia Ruano Pascual
Paola Suárez		 4–6, 6–3, 6–3
Winner 12. 20 June 2005 Wimbledon Grass Cara Black Svetlana Kuznetsova
Amélie Mauresmo		 6–2, 6–1
Winner 13. 19 February 2006 Bangalore Hard Sania Mirza Anastasia Rodionova
Elena Vesnina		 6–3, 6–3
Runner-up 11. 22 March 2006 Miami Hard Martina Navrátilová Lisa Raymond
Samantha Stosur		 6–4, 7–5
Runner-up 12. 9 April 2006 Ponte Vedra Beach Clay Sania Mirza Shinobu Asagoe
Katarina Srebotnik		 6–2, 6–4
Winner 14. 27 May 2006 Strasbourg Clay Martina Navrátilová Martina Müller
Andreea Vanc		 6–2, 7–6(1)
Runner-up 13. 18 June 2006 Birmingham Grass Jill Craybas Jelena Janković
Li Na		 6–2, 6–4
Runner-up 14. 24 June 2006 Eastbourne Grass Martina Navrátilová Svetlana Kuznetsova
Amélie Mauresmo		 6–2, 6–4
Winner 15. 24 September 2006 Kolkata Hard Sania Mirza Yuliya Beygelzimer
Yuliana Fedak		 6–4, 6–0
Runner-up 15. 1 October 2006 Luxembourg Hard (i) Anna-Lena Grönefeld Francesca Schiavone
Květa Peschke		 2–6, 6–4, 6–1
Runner-up 16. 22 October 2006 Zürich Hard (i) Katarina Srebotnik Cara Black
Rennae Stubbs		 7–5, 7–5
Winner 16. 15 January 2007 Australian Open Hard Cara Black Yung-Jan Chan
Chia-Jung Chuang		 6–4, 6–7(4), 6–1
Winner 17. 5 February 2007 Paris Carpet Cara Black Gabriela Navrátilová
Vladimíra Uhlířová		 6–2, 6–0
Winner 18. 12 February 2007 Antwerp Carpet Cara Black Elena Likhovtseva
Elena Vesnina		 7–5, 4–6, 6–1
Winner 19. 19 February 2007 Dubai Hard Cara Black Svetlana Kuznetsova
Alicia Molik		 7–6(6), 6–4
Runner-up 17. 3 April 2007 Miami Hard Cara Black Lisa Raymond
Samantha Stosur		 6–4, 3–6, [10–2]
Winner 20. 25 June 2007 Wimbledon Grass Cara Black Katarina Srebotnik
Ai Sugiyama		 3–6, 6–3, 6–2
Winner 21. 30 July 2007 San Diego Hard Cara Black Victoria Azarenka
Anna Chakvetadze		 7–5, 6–4
Runner-up 18. 19 August 2007 Toronto Hard Cara Black Katarina Srebotnik
Ai Sugiyama		 6–4, 2–6, [10–5]
Runner-up 19. 25 August 2007 New Haven Hard Cara Black Sania Mirza
Mara Santangelo		 6–1, 6–2
Winner 22. 8 October 2007 Moscow Carpet Cara Black Victoria Azarenka
Tatiana Poutchek		 4–6, 6–1, [10–7]
Winner 23. 28 October 2007 Linz Hard (i) Cara Black Katarina Srebotnik
Ai Sugiyama		 6–2, 3–6, [10–8]
Winner 24. 11 November 2007 Madrid Hard (i) Cara Black Katarina Srebotnik
Ai Sugiyama		 5–7, 6–3, [10–8]
Winner 25. 17 February 2008 Antwerp Carpet Cara Black Květa Peschke
Ai Sugiyama		 6–1, 6–3
Runner-up 20. 24 February 2008 Doha Hard Cara Black Rennae Stubbs
Květa Peschke		 6–1, 5–7, [10–7]
Winner 26. 1 March 2008 Dubai Hard Cara Black Yan Zi
Zheng Jie		 7–5, 6–2
Runner-up 21. 6 April 2008 Miami Hard Cara Black Katarina Srebotnik
Ai Sugiyama		 7–5, 4–6, [10–3]
Winner 27. 11 May 2008 Berlin Clay Cara Black Nuria Llagostera Vives
María José Martínez Sánchez		 3–6, 6–2, [10–2]
Winner 28. 15 June 2008 Birmingham Grass Cara Black Virginia Ruano Pascual
Séverine Brémond		 6–2, 6–1
Winner 29. 21 June 2008 Eastbourne Grass Cara Black Květa Peschke
Rennae Stubbs		 2–6, 6–0, [10–8]
Winner 30. 20 July 2008 Stanford Hard Cara Black Elena Vesnina
Vera Zvonareva		 6–4, 6–3
Winner 31. 3 August 2008 Montreal Hard Cara Black Maria Kirilenko
Flavia Pennetta		 6–1, 6–1
Winner 32. 7 September 2008 US Open Hard Cara Black Samantha Stosur
Lisa Raymond		 6–4, 7–6(6)
Runner-up 22. 12 October 2008 Moscow Hard (i) Cara Black Nadia Petrova
Katarina Srebotnik		 6–4, 6–4
Winner 33. 19 October 2008 Zurich Hard (i) Cara Black Anna-Lena Grönefeld
Patty Schnyder		 6–1, 7–6(3)
Runner-up 23. 26 October 2008 Linz Hard (i) Cara Black Katarina Srebotnik
Ai Sugiyama		 6–4, 7–5
Winner 34. 9 November 2008 Doha Hard Cara Black Květa Peschke
Rennae Stubbs		 6–1, 7–5
Winner 35. 15 February 2009 Paris Hard (i) Cara Black Květa Peschke
Lisa Raymond		 6–4, 3–6, [10–4]
Winner 36. 21 February 2009 Dubai Hard Cara Black Maria Kirilenko
Agnieszka Radwańska		 6–3, 6–3
Winner 37. 16 May 2009 Madrid Clay Cara Black Květa Peschke
Lisa Raymond		 4–6, 6–3, [10–6]
Winner 38. 14 June 2009 Birmingham Grass Cara Black Raquel Kops-Jones
Abigail Spears		 6–1, 6–4
Winner 39. 16 August 2009 Cincinnati Hard Cara Black Nuria Llagostera Vives
María José Martínez Sánchez		 6–3, 0–6, [10–2]
Runner-up 24. 14 September 2009 US Open Hard Cara Black Serena Williams
Venus Williams		 6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 25. 1 November 2009 Doha Hard Cara Black Nuria Llagostera Vives
María José Martínez Sánchez		 7–6(0), 5–7, [10–7]
Winner 40. 9 January 2010 Auckland Hard Cara Black Natalie Grandin
Laura Granville		 7–6(4), 6–2
Winner 41. 15 January 2010 Sydney Hard Cara Black Tathiana Garbin
Nadia Petrova		 6–1, 3–6, [10–3]
Runner-up 26. 29 January 2010 Australian Open Hard Cara Black Serena Williams
Venus Williams		 6–4, 6–3
Runner-up 27. 14 February 2010 Paris Hard (i) Cara Black Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová
Iveta Benešová		 walkover
Winner 42. 18 April 2010 Charleston Clay Nadia Petrova Vania King
Michaëlla Krajicek		 6–3, 6–4
Runner-up 28. 13 June 2010 Birmingham Grass Bethanie Mattek-Sands Cara Black
Lisa Raymond		 6–3, 3–2 ret
Winner 43. 1 August 2010 Stanford Hard Lindsay Davenport Chan Yung-jan
Zheng Jie		 7–5, 6–7(8), [10–8]
Runner-up 29. 13 September 2010 US Open Hard Nadia Petrova Yaroslava Shvedova
Vania King		 2–6, 6–4, 7–6(4)
Winner 44. 20 February 2011 Dubai Hard María José Martínez Sánchez Květa Peschke
Katarina Srebotnik		 7–6(5), 6–3
Runner-up 30. 26 February 2011 Doha Hard Nadia Petrova Květa Peschke
Katarina Srebotnik		 7–5, 6–7(2), [10–8]
Runner-up 31. 3 April 2011 Miami Hard Nadia Petrova Daniela Hantuchová
Agnieszka Radwańska		 7–6(5), 2–6, [10–8]
Runner-up 32. 18 June 2011 Eastbourne Grass Lisa Raymond Květa Peschke
Katarina Srebotnik		 6–3, 6–0
Runner-up 33. 31 July 2011 Stanford Hard Lisa Raymond Victoria Azarenka
Maria Kirilenko		 6–1, 6–3
Winner 45. 14 August 2011 Toronto Hard Lisa Raymond Victoria Azarenka
Maria Kirilenko		 walkover
Winner 46. 11 September 2011 US Open Hard Lisa Raymond Vania King
Yaroslava Shvedova		 4–6, 7–6(5), 7–6(3)
Winner 47. 1 October 2011 Tokyo Hard Lisa Raymond Gisela Dulko
Flavia Pennetta		 7–6(4), 0–6, [10–6]
Winner 48. 30 October 2011 Istanbul Hard (i) Lisa Raymond Květa Peschke
Katarina Srebotnik		 6–4, 6–4

Grand Slam Statistics

Women's Doubles Performance Timeline

Tournament 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 W-L
Grand Slam Tournaments
Australian Open A A 1R A A 1R 1R A 2R A 3R SF 2R 3R W QF QF F SF 30–12
French Open A LQ 1R A 2R 1R 3R QF 2R SF 1R 1R F 2R SF SF SF SF SF 36–16
Wimbledon LQ A 1R A 1R 1R SF 2R 1R 2R 3R F W QF W SF SF SF QF 43–14
US Open LQ LQ 1R 1R A 1R QF 2R 2R 2R QF QF A 3R 2R W F F W 37–13

References

  1. ^ Sports Illustrated profile
  2. ^ Collin Matiza (April 27, 2010). "Zimbabwe: Cara Black, Huber Split". http://allafrica.com/stories/201004270066.html. Retrieved September 12, 2011. 

External links
Women's Tennis Association: Top ten female doubles tennis players from the Americas as of November 28, 2011.
1. Liezel Huber (1 ) · 2. Lisa Raymond (4 ) · 3. Vania King (6 ) · 4. Gisela Dulko (9 ) · 5. Bethanie Mattek-Sands (17 )
6. Meghann Shaughnessy (19 ) · 7. Abigail Spears (36 ) · 8. Raquel Kops-Jones (37 ) · 9. Megan Moulton-Levy (94 1) · 10. Jamie Hampton (95 1)