Sania Mirza won her third Grand Slam title and first with new partner Bruno Soares of Brazil at the US Open in New York, on Friday.
The top seeded pair beat the unseeded combination of Abigail Spears of the United States and Mexico's Santiago Gonzalez 6-1, 2-6, 11-9 in a thrilling mixed doubles final.
It was Sania's fifth mixed doubles final appearance at the Grand Slam level, having won the Australian Open in 2009 and the French Open in 2012, both with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi.
She reached the Australian Open mixed doubles final this year but ended runners-up with Romanian partner Horea Tecau.
Sania-Soares squandered five straight championship points before emerging triumphant in exactly 60 minutes. They heaved a sigh of relief when Spears sent a backhand volley long after the US-Mexican pair levelled scores at 9-9 rallying from 4-9.
"Playing with him is a lot of fun. He did not play with me all these years, not sure why?," said Sania after the triumph, adding that the pairing will continue at the Australian Open.
The 27-year-old Indian ace, partnering Cara Black of Zimbabwe, however, failed to make it to the women's doubles final, going down in straight sets to the unseeded Swiss-Italian pair of Martina Hingis and Flavia Pennetta at the Flushing Meadows 2-6, 4-6 in the semi-finals.
Image: Sania Mirza of India
Photograph: Renee McKay/Getty Images
