Paes-Bhupathi win French Open title

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi are the French Open men's doubles champions.

The Indian duo, who won the title at Roland Garros in 1999, reproduced their magic of yore to get the better of the 13th seeded Czech pair Petr Pala and Pavel Vizner 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 in the final and reign for a second time.

What a comeback it has been for the unseeded Indians who parted ways in 2000 after becoming the first pair in over 45 years to reach all four Grand Slam finals in 1999, when they won the French and Wimbledon crowns, and finished the year as No 1.

Enroute to this year's final they ousted the fifteenth-seeded pair of Brazilian Jaime Oncins and Argentine Daniel Orsanic in the first round, the third-seeded Czech pair of Jiri Novak and David Rikl in the quarters and No 11 Michael Hill (Australia) and Jeff Tarango (US) in the semi-finals.

In Saturday's final they were up against the wall after being broken in each set. But they kept their cool, broke back and then clinched the crucial points for a memorable victory.

In the first set, games went with service until the Czechs effected the first break in the sixth game on Bhupathi's serve at love.

The Indians had a chance to return the compliment immediately in the next game, with Vizner serving. They had three break points, but squandered the advantage and let Pala and Vizner off the hook.

But just when it looked like the Czechs would take the first set the Indians broke back to restore parity.

Pala was serving for the set at 5-4 and 40-15, but Paes and Bhupathi threw caution to the wind and returned everything to force deuce and then take the game.

Both sides then held serve as the set went into a tie-breaker. Here it was the Indians' experience that stood them in good stead as they came good on the crucial points to win 7-5.

The second set too progressed in similar fashion, with the Indians being broken as early as the third game, again on Bhupathi's serve. But they broke back in the next on their first break point to draw level with the Czechs.

Games again went with serve till the Indians broke Pala's serve in the eighth game for what turned out to be the all-important break.

Paes then served out the ninth game at 30 for the set and match.

It was the Indians' first Grand Slam title in 2001 following triumphs in ATP events last month in Atlanta and Houston.

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