Third Grand Slam of the year for Hingis-Paes

The fourth seeded Indo-Swiss pair edged past un-seeded Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 in a tricky final, to win their third Major title together this season.

Leander Paes, of India, left, and Martina Hingis, of Switzerland, pose for a photo after winning the mixed doubles final match against Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey, of the United States, at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Friday, Sept. 11, 2015, in New York. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Veteran Indian tennis star Leander Paes scripted history by notching up the US Open mixed doubles title with Swiss partner Martina Hingis to become the format’s most successful male player in the Open era.

The fourth seeded Indo-Swiss pair edged past un-seeded Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 in a tricky final, to win their third Major title together this season.

The 42-year-old Paes has now won nine Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, surpassing compatriot and former partner Mahesh Bhupathi’s record of eight titles.

He is now behind only the legendary Martina Navratilova, who won 10 mixed doubles trophies. Of those 10, two came with Paes when they won Australian Open and the Wimbledon in 2003.

With this win, the Paes-Hingis duo, which also won the Australian Open and the Wimbledon titles early this season, have become the first mixed doubles team since 1969 to win three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles in the same year.

It was Paes’ 17th Grand Slam title overall and Hingis’ 19th. Hingis has won four mixed doubles Grand Slam titles and all of them have come with Indians.

She won her first mixed doubles trophy with Mahesh Bhupathi when they won 2006 Australian Open.