Leander Paes/Martina Hingis beat Mirza/Dodig in French Open Final

The veterans have now completed a Career Slam together on the mixed doubles circuit.

(Photo: AP)

Veterans on the circuit, but there still is no stopping the collective might of Martina Hingis and Leander Paes.

The unseeded Indo-Swiss pair have completed a Career Slam with a 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 victory over Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig in the Finals of the French Open. The title on Friday night adds to their joint trophy cabinet comprising of the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles from 2015.

The title is also the 18th Grand Slam for Paes and 10th in mixed doubles. For 35-year-old Hingis, it was Grand Slam title number 22. However, as the scoreline suggest, the match on Friday was by no means an easy one. Second seeds Mirza and Dodig conceded defeat only after a hard-fought hour and 28 minutes.

(Photo: AP)

First Set to Sania/Ivan

Though Hingis had a partner on each side of the net, Sania Mirza made no concessions for her women’s doubles team-mate as the two pairs went head to head for the first eight games. Staying on serve.

However, it was the Swiss Miss’s wide return that gave Mirza/Dodig a look-in and they weren’t going to let this one off easy. On deuce, a Sania forehand winner sealed the first set 6-4.

(Photo: AP)

The Second: Paes/Hingis Fight Back

Early in the second set, some quick work by Leander and a faulty Dodig serve saw the unseeded pair take the lead in the third game. Hingis then held her serve in the next to create a 3-1 cushion.

However, fortunes were to see-saw a bit further in the set as it was Paes’ turn to bungle his serve. A double fault at 30-15 and then two backhand errors saw the second set being levelled out back on serve. 3-3.

Next it was Sania’s turn to be shut out of her own service game. A second break point and Paes’ winner saw them claw ahead at 4-3. Martina held her own serve and it was 5-3 next.

It came down to Leander Paes serving for the set. He wasn’t done just yet - bring on the tiebreaker!

(Photo: AP)

Tie Breaker to The Title

Paes and Sania lost a point each on their serves and the two pairs were locked 4-4 but the Indo-Swiss pair zoomed to 8-6 lead with Paes winning two hard-fought points. But soon it was 8-all. Hingis smashed a backhand cross court winner to earn first match point and they sealed it when Dodig’s forehand met the net.

Leander Paes let out a loud cry, one that might as well see him cruise all the way to Rio de Janeiro. The scoreline read 4-6, 6-4, 10-8.