Paes And Damm Wins US Open Doubles Championship

Sixth seeds Martin Damm and Leander Paes took the US Open men's doubles title with a shock win over top seeds Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi.

India’s Leander Paes and his Czech partner Martin Damm rebounded from a set down to beat second seeded Max Mirnyi of Sweden and Jonas Bjorkman of Belarus 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-3 to lift the men’s doubles title at the US Open in a two hours and thirty five minutes match.

Bjorkman and Mirnyi, who lost to American brothers Bob and Mike Bryan in the final 12 months ago, looked on course for victory when they took the opening set on a tiebreak and broke in the first game of the second.

But Paes and Damm, beaten finalists at the Australian Open and who saved five match points in their semi-final win, roared back to clinch victory.

The 6?5? Mirnyi, nicknamed ‘the beast’, used his enormous reach to take care of some high overhead shots. Paes clinched numerous points by poaching - sneaking in the ball just across the net.

Paes said communication had been the key to his success with Damm.
"I don't think there are enough words to express how much fun and how much learning I've actually had playing with Martin, because we're actually opposites on the court," Paes said.

The victory was especially sweet as both men had previously finished runners-up in the US Open doubles.

Paes, 33, last registered a grand slam triumph in 2001 at the French Open with Mahesh Bhupathi with whom he also won the French Open and the Wimbledon in 1999.

The victory gave Damm his first grand slam title, while for Paes it was his fourth men's doubles crown and seventh in all.

After winning his first Grand Slam men's doubles title in five years at the US Open, Leander Paes has his eyes firmly set on the Doha Asian Games teaming up with Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles.

He has not ruled out the case of taking the court in singles competition at the quadrennial mega event.

Recently Paes has also been named winner of the Pride of India Award by a non-resident Indian organisation in the US.

So Paes is having a really good time out there.