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Home  » Sports » It's Grand Slam No 15 for legendary Leander Paes

It's Grand Slam No 15 for legendary Leander Paes

Last updated on: February 01, 2015 12:55 IST
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Leander Paes

Martina Hingis of Switzerland and India's Leander Paes hold the winners' trophy after the mixed doubles final against Kristina Mladenovic of France and Daniel Nestor of Canada. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Indian tennis star Leander Paes clinched his 15th Grand Slam title when he and Swiss ace Martina Hingis won the Australian Open mixed-doubles title in Melbourne on Sunday.

Congratulate Leander Paes Here!

The seventh seeded Indo-Swiss pair turned back the clock to serve past third seeds Daniel Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic 6-4, 6-3 in 62 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena.

Martina Hingis of Switzerland and Leander Paes of India celebrate

Martina Hingis and Leander Paes celebrate after winning the mixed doubles final at the Australian Open. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

While the 41-year-old Paes clinched his seventh mixed doubles crown, Hingis, who came out of retirement for the second time a couple of years back, collected her 11thdoubles Slam apart from her five singles titles.

Paes-Hingis broke the Canadian-French pair of Nestor-Kristina once in the first set and twice in the second in an entertaining display.

The veteran Indian doubles specialist joined forces with the 34-year-old Hingis last year only to come up with a Slam title in quick time.

Martina Hingis of Switzerland and Leander Paes of India

Martina Hingis and Leander Paes celebrate a point. Photograph: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Hingis, who burst on the scene in 1995, thanked her idol and legend Martina Navratilova for suggesting Paes as her mixed-doubles partner.

"I am thankful to Martina (Navratilova) for getting me to partner Paes. Not even in my wildest dreams would I have believed that 20 years later I'd be standing here again," said an excited Hingis, a winner of three singles Australian Open titles in 1997, 98 and 99.

Navratilova, who partnered Paes to clinch the Australian Open and Wimbledon mixed-doubles crown in 2003, was in the stands to watch the tennis veterans play in the final.

Congratulate Leander Paes Here!

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