New York: Moments after winning the US Open
men's doubles trophy as his 10th Grand Slam title, Indian ace
Leander Paes said he wasn't sure if he would be able to play
the final as he was carrying a sore shoulder.
Paes had injured his elbow ten days back while playing
mixed doubles in the tournament but the ace Indian overcame
the pain and combined with Czech Lukas Dlouhy to outlast
Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles of Bahamas 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in
the men's doubles final today.
"I'm a little numb at the moment, because it's just been
a mammoth effort over the past two weeks. But when I woke up I
didn't know if I could get through the match, there was so
much pain. I've been carrying a really, really sore shoulder,"
said the Indian.
"Every time I touched the ball there was so much pain
that I didn't believe that I could actually go through the
match and finish. But I knew it was my job to endure the pain
and be steady," he said.
With this year's French Open doubles crown, partnering
with Dlouhy, already in his pocket, Paes felt the current
season is the best in his 18 years of professional career.
"This is possibly the best year I've ever had on the
tour," said Paes, who turned pro in 1991.
"Today's match was of real high quality. Well done,"
added Paes with the satisfaction that he and Dlouhy had erased
memories of last year's final loss at the same Grand Slam.
Paes was all praise for his partner Dlouhy, who led from
the front as the former was carrying an injury.
"I just have to say I'm blessed with a great partner in
Lukas. He seems to play on the big moments, you know. That's
the important part, is when you have a partner that recognizes
that I was injured today and I was hurting and he just stepped
up to the plate and just said, I'm going to do it," he said.
"You just be solid with me today, and I'm just gonna take
over and do it for you. And he did. That's the beauty about
doubles, is that you have another brother there to rely on.
Today this Grand Slam, I think especially today, was just
Lukas' match. He played MVP for sure."
The Indian ace also felt that he and Dlouhy have been
shaping up into becoming the best doubles pair in the world.
"I was struggling today, because of the sore shoulder.
Lukas stepped up to the plate today right in the beginning of
the second set and he said, I'm serving. He showed amazing
maturity to lead the team. I think that's the beauty of the
best doubles teams in the world. One player leads sometime.
"And like today, Lukas led and I followed. I think the
key is in our understanding, it doesn't matter who leads or
who follows. We both kind of are together. That's why we won
today, really."
Paes was happy that he won his Grand Slam number 10 but
said "it is just a number, the joy of competing and prevailing
against odds is what keeps spurring me on and not the desire
to further fill up my trophy cabinet."
Dlouhy said his on-court understanding with Paes was
crucial to winning their second Grand Slam title of the year.
"It's a great feeling to win it and to play with him on
the same side. It's really amazing to play with him such a big
tournament, finals. I have been in two finals already here
before, and today was a special match."
"We were like fired up and we were playing well and like
a team. Doesn't matter if I play good or he's playing good, we
are like team, and we won it like team. That's it. It's
amazing feeling for me to win second Grand Slam in the year.
What can I say? It's perfect," said Dlouhy.
Paes bettered his score against his estranged friend and
former partner Bhupathi by moving ahead with a 10-9 score in
matches where they have featured as rivals.
Asked about facing Bhupathi at the other side of the
court, Paes said, "Usually when I and Mahesh faceoff it's a
tough match. This final was no different. It's just that when
it goes down to the wire what matters is the ability to raise
ones game and put the other team under pressure."
"I am glad we managed to do that in the middle of the
second set."
The only time they had locked horns in a final before
today was in 2004 at Dubai where Bhupathi had the last laugh
but Paes hold a 3-1 edge over him in Grand Slam meetings.
Paes and Bhupathi split in 2000 but reunite for their
homeland in Olympics and Davis Cups.
Bureau Report
First Published: Monday, September 14, 2009, 15:29