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ShareMumbai: When you already have nine Grand Slam titles in the bag, an Olympic medal, the country's highest sporting honour and a billion fans and counting, filling up the trophy cabinet with more silverware is possibly a lesser motivation than the love of the game, the adrenalin rush of competing. In his 10th overall Grand Slam win (sixth men's doubles) on Sunday, Leander Paes said the joy of competing is what drives him even at 36 years of age.
"I know this is the No.10 but to me, it is just a number. The joy of competing and prevailing against the odds is what keeps spurring me on... Not the desire to further fill up my trophy cabinet," the peerless Paes told DNA hours after his achievement at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York.
Leander and his Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy on Sunday defeated Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles in a thrilling final that stretched to two hours and brought out the best of India's two ageing but indomitable athletes.
The 3-6 6-3 6-2 victory was all the more remarkable because Leander was suffering from a sore shoulder and was clearly struggling. In the end it was a combination of sheer will power and team effort that enabled him to lift his second US Open men's doubles title.
Leander was profuse in his praise for Dlouhy. "My arm was hurting terribly... So it was left to my partner to help us pull through. I am happy he stepped up so well," he said. "I'm lucky to have a partner like Lukas who played better on big points. He realised I was hurting and stepped on the gas."
Dlouhy, on his part, said it was teamwork more than anything else. "We were like fired up, and we were playing well and like a team," Dlouhy said. "Doesn't matter if I play good or he's playing good. We won it like a team."
Paes also got the upper hand on his erstwhile partner Bhupathi. Facing off for a 19th time since parting ways in 2000, Paes edged ahead 10-9. The two were meeting each other in a Grand Slam final for the first time.
In Leander's words, it's always difficult to play Mahesh because they both know their games inside out. "Usually when I and Mahesh face each other, 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 one's game and put the other team under pressure. I am glad we managed to do it in the middle of the second set."
Leander, who was in line for a grand double this year, lost in the mixed doubles final with his Zimbabwean partner Cara Black.
And in the men's doubles title clash, too, it seemed as if the 10th Grand Slam will remain tantalisingly out of his reach. After failing to hold his serve even once in the first set, Leander, the consummate athlete, roared back.
The pain seemed to spur him on in the second set. The 10-time Major champion broke and held serve to go up 3-2. A brilliant reflex return saw Leander exclaim: "This is my court! This is my court." In the third set, it was smooth sailing. Bhupathi and Knowles were broken six times.
With Agency inputs
