Leander Paes won the battle of Indians as well as his 10th Grand Slam after defeating Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles in the US Open men’s doubles final along with Lukas Dlouhy.

Fourth seeds Paes and Czech Dlouhy scripted a sensational 3-6 6-3 6-2 win in the championship match over third seeds Bhupathi and his Bahamian partner. The match was heading for a straight-set washout in favour of Bhupathi and Knowles but Paes enlivened the match with his inspiring play and changed the complexion of the game. His sparkling play infused life into the match and Dlouhy complemented him well.

This is Paes’s fifth men’s doubles Grand Slam crown, 41st overall, and second with Dlouhy. It was also the second title of the year for the seasoned Paes, who won the French Open in June along with Dlouhy.

Paes later said he wasn’t sure if he would be able to play the final as he was carrying a sore shoulder. He had injured his elbow ten days ago while playing mixed doubles. “I’m a little numb at the moment, because it’s just been a mammoth effort over the past two weeks. When I woke up I didn’t know if I could get through the match. I’ve been carrying a really sore shoulder,” he said. “Every time I touched the ball there was so much pain,” he said.

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,” he said.

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