Long known as the sisters that would just as soon battle each other as battle opponents, the Ukrainian Bondarenko sisters developed newfound on-court harmony in time to help the battling sisters earn their first Grand Slam Tennis Doubles title at the Rod Laver Arena on Friday, January 25, 2008. Coached by their mother Natalia, the unpredictable pair kept their cool and surprised the field emerging as the unseeded Women’s Doubles champions. It was not easy!

The decided underdogs overcame a sluggish start and rallied over the 12th seeded entry of Victoria Azarenko and Israel’s very experienced Shahar Peer in a three set stunner that had the packed house rocking for more than two hours. The stormy match saw huge momentum swings as the Ukranian team overcame a 2-6 whipping in the first set, rebounding to sweep the second set 6-1 en route to a tense and hard-fought third set 6-4 victory. The unlikely turnaround left the runner-ups shaking their heads as the audience wondered just how good the Bondarenkos could be if they can continue to play together.

At 23 years old, the blonde poster girl temptress, Alona Bondarenko used her well-traveled experience to calm her younger sister, Kateryna, after a rocky first set start. Kateryna Bondarenko was ultra aggressive, gambling a bit too much in the opening set, while hitting volley after volley erratically and beyond the baseline. This type performance would not have been well received a year earlier. Well-known for their on-court antics, the sisters showed their growing maturity by talking their way through the horrific start and settling into their strong service games and powerful ground strokes. As their confidence grew, their strokes improved and Kateryna began to strike dominating service returns. After the first set, the sisters were on the offensive, pressuring every receiving game.

The Bondarenkos won eight of the 14 receiving points they faced in the 38 minute second set. Over their 39 event doubles career, the Australian Open 2008 marked the sister’s first championship. Remarkably, the champions won only two points more than the runner-ups, 77-75. By the end of the 55 minute third set, the crowd had all but forgotten the prior two inconsistent sets.

The third set began with three service breaks; two by the Bondarenks. At 5-2, Azaraneko and Peer broke back to even the match and seemingly stem the momentum until at 5-4, Peer misplayed a forehand volley and lost the decisive 10th game. The Ukrainian victory was appreciated by the capacity filled Arena, but Peer and Azarenko seemed stunned, wondering what might have been. The Bondarenkos are the first sisters to hold the doubles crown since the Williams sisters prevailed in 2003.

By the time the sisters reached the finals, they had strung together 5 straight upsets, going three sets in their 2nd round match with Mixed Doubles Champ and 8th seeded Tiantian Sun and Shuai Peng of China. That match went down to a tiebreaker in the third set and seemed a fitting icebreaker to propel the blonde-brunette Ukrainian pair to new heights.

Most impressive was Kateryna and Alona’s straight set quarter-final win over the defending Australian Open Doubles Champions and number 1 seed, Cara Black and American Liezel Huber, 6-3, 6-2, in a match that never seemed in doubt. Again, power serving and stellar service returns surprised the top seeds. At the urging of their coach and mother, the sisters started their semi-final match quickly and never let up against the 10th seeded Spaniards, Anabel Garriques and Virginia Pascual. The match was decided in short order in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.

Even with all this momentum and growing fan base, the girls were jittery at the finals on the championship court. After the first set, a few glances from Natalia seemed to get the team back on track. Kateryna’s increased patience and more concentrated effort seemed the keys to success.

Alona, known for her photogenic and sultry photo shoots, is currently the 21st ranked Women’s singles player and has career earning over $1,000,000 USD and broke into the Women’s top 100 in 2005. Alona is the first Ukrainian female tour player to exceed the million dollar mark. She is currently the 55th ranked Women’s doubles professional player. At 5 foot 9 inches and 121 pounds, there is a lot to like about Alona. Her potential seems well in front of her and she leaves Melbourne with many fans anxious to see her return in 2009.

Kateryna has power and great athleticism. Her expanding maturity can only yield higher rankings and add some balance to her play. Troubled by a left hip strain in 2007, her exposure was limited. While some of the rustiness was apparent, her hip seemed healed and she moved as gracefully as ever throughout the tournament. Unforced errors tend to be her demise. The Bondarenkos had more unforced errors that Peer-Azarenka.

The Bodarenkos have increased their schedule in 2008 and fans can expect to see them battling for more titles throughout the year. The Australian Open fans are convinced the sisters have more wins to capture and with their emotions in check, their potential is unbridled.