NEW YORK, Sept 11 AFP – India’s Leander Paes and Swiss Martina Hingis became the first team since 1969 to win three grand slam mixed doubles titles in the same season at the US Open yesterday.
The fourth seeds defeated American duo Sam Querrey and Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-4 3-6 10-7 to add the New York crown to their wins at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
The only other team to win three majors in the same year were American Marty Riessen and Australian Margaret Smith Court 46 years ago.
Paes, 42, has also passed his former doubles partner, Mahesh Bhupathi, as the most successful mixed doubles champion in the open era with nine grand slam titles.
It was his 17th title in total at the majors while Hingis, 34, now has 19 from five singles, 10 women’s doubles and four mixed.
Hingis can win another this weekend as she will team up with India’s Sania Mirza in the women’s doubles final against Australian Casey Dellacqua and Kazakh Yaroslava Shvedova.
“I just love to play tennis and I am fortunate to have Leander as my partner,” said Hingis.
Paes and Hingis have fine-tuned their teamwork by playing together for Washington in the World Team Tennis league.
