<p>Top seeds and favourites, the 36-year-old Paes and the 30-year-old Black beat 10th seeds Ekaterina Makarova of Russia and Jaroslav Levinsky of Czechoslovakia 7-5 6-3 in just about one and a half hour.<br /><br />The triumph gave the Indian his 11th overall and fifth mixed doubles title. With this, Paes has equalled one-time doubles' partner Mahesh Bhupathi's tally.<br /><br />The last couple of times they reached a Grand Slam final, Paes and Black ended up on the losing side and eager to make amends for that, they were dominant from the word go today.<br /><br />They broke their rivals as early as in the third game and save for a couple of breaks lost on Black's serve, the Indo-Zimbabwean pair seemed hardly troubled by Makarova and Levinsky, who committed far too many unforced errors.<br /><br />Black, whose net game and serve were the weak links for the top seeds, raised her game when it mattered after getting some pep talk from Paes.<br /><br />Having lost her serve twice, Black held it in the all-important 12th game before Paes smashed a winner to clinch the opener 7-5. <br /><br />The emotionally charged Paes exulted and an equally enthusiastic crowd cheered him on in the stands.<br /><br />With momentum going in their favour, Paes and Black broke their rivals in the very first game of the second set.<br /><br />Makarova and Levinsky has their moments but they were far too few in a match which left them amazed at Paes' athleticism.<br /><br />They could only watch wide-eyed as the veteran Indian reached out to chase unlikely winners at the net and inspire his partner in moments of doubt.<br /><br />This is Paes and Black's second title together, the first being the 2008 US Open.<br />Paes and Black had made back-to-back Grand Slam finals -- Wimbledon and the US Open -- last season but faltered at the finishing line in both the events.<br /><br />Paes has been a former mixed doubles' champions at Melbourne Park and that triumph came in 2003 when he was partnering American legend Martina Navratilova.</p>
<p>Top seeds and favourites, the 36-year-old Paes and the 30-year-old Black beat 10th seeds Ekaterina Makarova of Russia and Jaroslav Levinsky of Czechoslovakia 7-5 6-3 in just about one and a half hour.<br /><br />The triumph gave the Indian his 11th overall and fifth mixed doubles title. With this, Paes has equalled one-time doubles' partner Mahesh Bhupathi's tally.<br /><br />The last couple of times they reached a Grand Slam final, Paes and Black ended up on the losing side and eager to make amends for that, they were dominant from the word go today.<br /><br />They broke their rivals as early as in the third game and save for a couple of breaks lost on Black's serve, the Indo-Zimbabwean pair seemed hardly troubled by Makarova and Levinsky, who committed far too many unforced errors.<br /><br />Black, whose net game and serve were the weak links for the top seeds, raised her game when it mattered after getting some pep talk from Paes.<br /><br />Having lost her serve twice, Black held it in the all-important 12th game before Paes smashed a winner to clinch the opener 7-5. <br /><br />The emotionally charged Paes exulted and an equally enthusiastic crowd cheered him on in the stands.<br /><br />With momentum going in their favour, Paes and Black broke their rivals in the very first game of the second set.<br /><br />Makarova and Levinsky has their moments but they were far too few in a match which left them amazed at Paes' athleticism.<br /><br />They could only watch wide-eyed as the veteran Indian reached out to chase unlikely winners at the net and inspire his partner in moments of doubt.<br /><br />This is Paes and Black's second title together, the first being the 2008 US Open.<br />Paes and Black had made back-to-back Grand Slam finals -- Wimbledon and the US Open -- last season but faltered at the finishing line in both the events.<br /><br />Paes has been a former mixed doubles' champions at Melbourne Park and that triumph came in 2003 when he was partnering American legend Martina Navratilova.</p>
