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MELBOURNE, Australia - Martina Hingis won the biggest title of her doubles comeback on Sunday, capturing the mixed doubles crown at the Australian Open alongside Indian legend Leander Paes.
The No.7-seeded Hingis and Paes didn't drop a set all tournament long and clinched the title with a 6-4, 6-3 championship win over No.3 seeds Kristina Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor, who had won two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles together before - Wimbledon in 2013 and right here last year.
"I think we grew with every match - the confidence, the teamwork, the suggestions we had, one or the other. We really trust each other," Hingis said. "I think that was the key in every match. The big points, like today, we were up a break in the first, in the second, and then they broke me back. But we stayed there, stayed focused, and just did our job. I think that was the key, that we were always there."
Hingis now has two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles to her name, having won the Australian Open back in 2006 with another Indian legend, Mahesh Bhupathi. It's her overall 16th Grand Slam title - she has five in singles (including three titles here) and nine in women's doubles (including four here).
The former World No.1 came back to doubles in the 2013 season and played a full 2014, and is now back in the Top 10. She was asked afterwards how she decided to come back to the pros again.
"I was never really completely out of the picture or away from tennis," Hingis said.
"It was always part of my life one way or another. I was playing some exhibitions, then I was coaching a little bit, which probably got me more into it because I was playing with the girls, hitting, being face to face with the best players in the world like Anastasia, Sabine, obviously some of the biggest hitters. So I felt like maybe I could play with them, but only half-court, so I don't have to run that much.
"But I felt I could still hold my own. Lee has been on me for three years - we played World TeamTennis for a couple years. Maybe I should have done it earlier and played a couple tournaments together already, but I wasn't ready to take the tension and be on the court. But he really kept on me.
"In the ceremony after the match my voice became very little. Who would have thought I'd still be back on that court after 20 years. It's not even like the cherry on top, it's more than that to be there and to be able to hold another Australian Open trophy. It's really more than I could ever dream of."
So what does the woman who has everything go after next - maybe Olympic gold?
"Right now we're very far away," the Swiss Miss said. "We're really enjoying this moment and having this title. I mean, it's out there, definitely. It's something that would probably be...
"I mean, I haven't played the Olympics since '96, so..."
MELBOURNE, Australia - Martina Hingis won the biggest title of her doubles comeback on Sunday, capturing the mixed doubles crown at the Australian Open alongside Indian legend Leander Paes.
The No.7-seeded Hingis and Paes didn't drop a set all tournament long and clinched the title with a 6-4, 6-3 championship win over No.3 seeds Kristina Mladenovic and Daniel Nestor, who had won two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles together before - Wimbledon in 2013 and right here last year.
"I think we grew with every match - the confidence, the teamwork, the suggestions we had, one or the other. We really trust each other," Hingis said. "I think that was the key in every match. The big points, like today, we were up a break in the first, in the second, and then they broke me back. But we stayed there, stayed focused, and just did our job. I think that was the key, that we were always there."
Hingis now has two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles to her name, having won the Australian Open back in 2006 with another Indian legend, Mahesh Bhupathi. It's her overall 16th Grand Slam title - she has five in singles (including three titles here) and nine in women's doubles (including four here).
The former World No.1 came back to doubles in the 2013 season and played a full 2014, and is now back in the Top 10. She was asked afterwards how she decided to come back to the pros again.
"I was never really completely out of the picture or away from tennis," Hingis said.
"It was always part of my life one way or another. I was playing some exhibitions, then I was coaching a little bit, which probably got me more into it because I was playing with the girls, hitting, being face to face with the best players in the world like Anastasia, Sabine, obviously some of the biggest hitters. So I felt like maybe I could play with them, but only half-court, so I don't have to run that much.
"But I felt I could still hold my own. Lee has been on me for three years - we played World TeamTennis for a couple years. Maybe I should have done it earlier and played a couple tournaments together already, but I wasn't ready to take the tension and be on the court. But he really kept on me.
"In the ceremony after the match my voice became very little. Who would have thought I'd still be back on that court after 20 years. It's not even like the cherry on top, it's more than that to be there and to be able to hold another Australian Open trophy. It's really more than I could ever dream of."
So what does the woman who has everything go after next - maybe Olympic gold?
"Right now we're very far away," the Swiss Miss said. "We're really enjoying this moment and having this title. I mean, it's out there, definitely. It's something that would probably be...
"I mean, I haven't played the Olympics since '96, so..."
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