Indian Paes completes tennis Grand Slam

GRAND SLAM: Leander Paes and Cara Black with their US Open trophy. (AFP)

India's Leander Paes completed a career mixed doubles Grand Slam, joining Zimbabwe's Cara Black to beat Britain's Jamie Murray and American Liezel Huber in the US Open final.

The 97-minute 7-6 (8/6), 6-4  victory for the first-time Slam pairing follows mixed titles for Paes at the 1999 French Open and Wimbledon with American Lisa Raymond and the 2003 Wimbledon and Australian Opens with US star Martina Navratilova.

"It was in the back of my mind that I hadn't won this one," Paes said. "I woke up this morning with a purpose. I woke up really fired up."

Paes, who lacks the Australian Open title for a men's doubles career Slam, lost two prior US Open mixed finals, including last year with American Meghann Shaughnessy 6-4, 7-6 (8/6) to Max Mirnyi and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

In 2001, Paes and Raymond fell 6-4, 5-7, 11-9 (champions tiebreak) in the final to Australians Todd Woodbridge and Rennae Stubbs.

"The key part is selecting a good partner," Paes said. "I let Cara do all the work and I just stood back and enjoyed it."

Both Black, 29, and Paes, 35, have a chance for more titles this week at Flushing Meadows.

Paes and Czech Lukas Dlouhy have advanced to Friday's US Open men's doubles final, where they will face US brothers Mike and Bob Bryan.

Black and Huber, a South African who became a US citizen last year, are top-seeded partners in women's doubles, where they are in the semi-finals.

Huber and Black hope for a chance to play 2005 US Open winners Raymond and Samantha Stosur of Australia in Sunday's final.

"It was tough for me to play against Liezel, but Leander was so good with me," Black said. "He calmed me a lot and said he had my back at all times.

"All thanks to Leander. He pulled me through."

Murray, the elder brother of US Open singles semi-finalist Andy Murray, won last year's Wimbledon mixed doubles crown with Serbian star Jelena Jankovic but lost to a Paes pair for the second US Open in a row, bowing in the 2007 semis.

"I was looking for a bit of revenge but it didn't happen," Murray said.

Paes and Black won six of the last seven points to take the first set, denying set points on a Black scoop volley winner and when Murray netted a forehand volley.

"She won the match for us," Paes said.

Black fired a service winner to give her and Paes a set point and the Indian star poached a backhand volley smash to win the set.

"It was amazing to pull that set out," Black said. "It gave us a great lift."

Paes and Black broke Murray in the fifth game of the second set, then held to the finish for the $150,000 top prize.

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