The Hindu : Sport : Paes-Damm duo in summit clash

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Sunday, Sep 10, 2006
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Paes-Damm duo in summit clash

Navratilova enters mixed doubles final

ALWAYS A HIT: A crowd favourite wherever he plays, Leander Paes obliges enthusiastic fans with his autograph. — Photo: PTI

New York: Leander Paes and Martin Damm survived some nerve-jangling moments to register a thrilling 6-7(1), 7-6(7), 7-5 victory against fourth seeds Paul Hanley and Kevin Ullyett and reach their second Grand Slam final of the season at the U.S. Open.

The pair faces Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden and Belarussian Max Mirnyi for the honours.

Though the sixth-seeded Indo-Czech pair had only 116 points to its credit compared to 122 by its Aussie-Zimbabwe rival, it won the crucial points to come through the two-hour and 40-minute match under lights on Friday.

Paes and Damm had reached the final at Australian Open besides advancing to the semifinals at Wimbledon this year. The Indian ace has three doubles triumphs at the Grand Slams to his credit while his partner is yet to win a major title.

Bjorkman and Mirnyi, who have won the French Open crown for last two successive years besides winning the U.S. Open with different partners, defeated the unseeded duo of Ashley Fisher of Australia and Tripp Phillips of the U.S. 6-1, 6-4 in the other semifinal.

Another final

Meanwhile, Martina Navratilova's `last' match will be for a Grand Slam title.

The veteran champion and Bob Bryan advanced to the mixed doubles final when their semifinal opponents, Meghann Shaughnessy and Justin Gimelstob, withdrew because of an injury. Navratilova has announced she will retire for a second time after this tournament.

Navratilova has won 58 Grand Slam titles in singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles. She originally retired in 1994, but returned to the tour in 2000 to play doubles, occasionally dabbling in singles, too.

In the junior section, India's Rupesh Roy and his Venezuelan partner Roberto Maytin crashed out of the boys' doubles event with a 7-6(6), 4-6, 6-7(5) loss to the American duo of Jarmere Jenkins and Austin Krajicek in the quarterfinals.

Rupesh's doubles show was the best by any Indian junior in fray in the U.S. Open. — Agencies

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