India's Mahesh Bhupathi and Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia won the mixed doubles title at the US Open on Thursday. They beat Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia 6-4, 6-2 in the final.
The triumph gave Bhupathi his second mixed doubles title of the year, having won at Wimbledon in July partnering Mary Pierce of France.
Bhupathi thus swelled his 'mixed' collection to five. He won his first in 1997 at the French Open with Rika Hiraki of Japan, the second at the 1999 US Open with Ai Sugiyama, also of Japan, the third in 2002 at Wimbledon with Elena Likhovtseva of Russia and the fourth with Pierce earlier this year.
The victory gave Hantuchova the career Grand Slam in mixed doubles, as she had already won the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon mixed crowns. The 22-year-old and 31-year-old Bhupathi will split the winners' check of $150,000, while Srebotnik and Zimonjic share $70,000.
Earlier, in the semi-finals, Bhupathi and the Slovakian had shocked sixth seeds Corina Morariu and Mike Bryan of the United States 7-6(7/4), 7-5, while Srebotnik and Zimonjic got the better of Israel's Andy Ram and Dinara Safina of Russia 6-1, 7-5.
Bhupathi's Grand Slam titles:
1997: French Open mixed doubles with Rika Hiraki of Japan
1999: French Open and Wimbledon men's doubles with Leander Paes
1999: US Open mixed doubles with Ai Sugiyama of Japan
2001: French Open men's doubles with Paes
2002: Wimbledon mixed doubles with Elena Likhovtseva of Russia
2002: US Open men's doubles with Max Mirnyi
2005: Wimbledon mixed doubles with Mary Pierce.
2005: US Open mixed doubles with Daniela Hantuchova.
