Martina Hingis & Leander Paes French Open Mixed Doubles Champions & Career Grand Slam Winners!

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Paris: Veteran Indian tennis star Leander Paes completed a 'Career Slam' in mixed doubles with Swiss partner Martina Hingis with a hard-fought win over compatriot Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig at Roland Garros on Friday.

The unseeded Indo-Swiss pair eked out a 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 win over the second seeds in the summit clash that lasted one hour and 28 minutes.

42-year-old Paes had won Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open titles in 2015 with Hingis.

It was 18th Grand Slam title for Paes and 10th in the mixed doubles. For 35-year-old Hingis, it was Grand Slam title number 22nd and fifth trophy in the mixed doubles.

Despite being the oldest player on the court, Paes' alertness and presence of mind made a good difference to the outcome of the match. Whenever he saw little openings he converted those into points.

Playing with lot of passion, he put away volleys from ferocious returns of both Sania and Dodig and has staked claim to be in India's mixed doubles team at the upcoming Rio Olympics.

Dodig was excellent with his service games in the opening and hardly lost points. His powerful returns combined with Sania's powerful game made it very tough for Paes and Sania.

The opening set was on serve till the ninth game. Paes was serving to stay in the set and was broken. The chance came the second seeds' way when Hingis failed to put a ball back on court on return of Dodig. On the deciding decuce point, Sania hit a forehand winner past Hingis to seal the set.

Paes created a chance on Sania's serve in the third game of the second set. He pounced on a volley and hammered the ball hard beyond return. Sania and Dodig saved two break chances but the Croat buried the ball on the deciding point to hand the rivals an early break.

Hingis held her serve in the next to create a 3-1 cushion. In the sixth game, Paes double faulted at 30-15 and followed that with two backhand errors to drop his serve. It was back on serve and released the pressure on Sania and Dodig.

However, Hingis and Paes broke Sania immediately with Paes hitting a volley winner on Sania's return on the second breakpoint.

Hingis struggled with her first serve but managed to hold for team's 5-3 lead.

Dodig, who was serving extremely well, suddenly faced a breakpoint in the next game but absorbed the pressure with ease and saved two set points, closing the game with an ace.

It was now Paes serving for the set and he served extremely well to take the set and force a match tie-breaker.

Paes and Sania lost a point each on their serves and the two pairs were locked 4-4 but the Indo-Swiss pair zoomed to 8-6 lead with Paes winning two hard-fought points. But soon it was 8-all. Hingis smashed a backhand cross court winner to earn first match point and they sealed it when Dodig's forehand met the net.

The winners split 116000 Euros as prize money while Sania and Dodig got 58000 Euros as a team.

firstpost.com

Martna Hingis & Sania Mirza to face each other in French Open Mixed Doubles Final

Paris: Indo-Croatian second seeds Sania Mirza and Ivan Dodig have set up a mouthwatering clash against Leander Paes and Martina Hingis in the mixed doubles final of the French Open in Paris.

Mirza and Dodig had to dig deep before they ousted local third seeds Kristina Mladenovic and Pierre-Hugues Herbert 4-6, 6-3, 12-10 in the semi-final which was played on Suzanne-Lenglen Court.

While on Philippe-Chatrier court, the unseeded pair of Leander Paes and Martina Hingis defeated French-Czech sixth seeds Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Andrea Hlavackova 6-3, 3-6, 10-7.

ndtvsports.com

She may have lost in women's doubles, but now she's got a chance to complete a Grand Slam in mixed. Way to go Swiss Miss!.

Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza's 'Santina Slam' hopes cut short in the 3rd round at French Open

Those expressions pretty much say it all :(.

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World number 1 and top seeds Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis made a shock third round exit from the French Open on Sunday.

The Indo-Swiss pair lost to the unseeded Czech duo of Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova 3-6, 2-6 ending their hopes of winning a fourth Grand Slam on the trot.

“We played bad and they played good. It’s as simple as that,” Mirza said. “You have to come up with your ‘A’ game. ... We obviously didn’t play anywhere close to our best.”

Hingis complained about a couple officiating decisions and said: “Everything kind of went against us today.”

Sania and Hingis were rusty from the start and could not hold their serve five times in the match, including four in the second set.

Giving away a breakpoint in the opener, they lost the first set 3-6. The start of the second was no different as they failed to hold their first two serves to trail 0-4.

The top seeds however fought back at that stage and broke their opponents to finally get on the board in the second at 4-1. However, they then conceded their own serve in the next game and the scoreline read 5-1.

The Czech pair served for the match but Sania and Hingis were yet to throw in the towel and broke their opponents’ serve to make it 2-5. But there was not be any further fightback from them as they yet again failed to hold serve in the crucial eighth and with it lost the match as well.

6-3, 6-2 to Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova.

thequint.com

It was just not their day, too bad. 

Hopefully they can try again next year. 

At least both Martina and Sania are still in the mixed doubles. 

But being on opposite sides of the net means that only one of them can win it. 

And it's no secret who I'm rooting for ;).

Martina Hingis & Leander Paes fight to reach mixed doubles quarters at French Open

India’s Leander Paes and his Swiss partner Martina Hingis moved a step closer to their first French Open crown together as they breezed into the mixed doubles quarterfinals after dispatching fourth seeds Yaroslav Shvedova and Florin Mergea, in Paris on Saturday.

Unseeded Paes and Hingis, who won three Grand Slams together in 2015, erased a one-set deficit to eke out a 2-6 7-5 10-6 win over a formidable combination in the rain-hit second round contest.

After losing their serve twice and breaking their rivals once, Paes and Hingis were trailing 2-3 when skies opened up, halting the match.


After play resumed, Paes and Hingis could not win a single game, losing three games in a row to surrender the opening set.

The Indo-Swiss had its share of chances but converted only one of the four break chances.

They almost dropped serve in the third game but managed to hold.

It was a tight contest from thereon with two pairs locked 5-5.

Shvedova and Mergea were serving to force a tie-breaker but Paes and Hingis capitalised on the second break point to drag it to a Super Tie-breaker.

They led 4-1 and then 8-4 before clinching the issue on their third match point.

They now await winners of the second round match between top seeds Hao-Ching Chan and Jamie Murray and Daria Gavrilova and John Peers.

indianexpress.com

Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza stay on track at French Open

PARIS, France - Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza moved one step closer to the Roland Garros title with a quick-fire second-round win over Nao Hibino and Eri Hozumi.

Bidding to become the first team to hold all four majors simultaneously since Serena and Venus Williams in 2010, Hingis and Mirza are showing no signs of nerves, continuing their serene progress with a 6-2, 6-0 victory.

Hibino and Hozumi occupied the top seeds for just 54 minutes, and on current form it will take something special to stop them. Next in the firing line are Czech duo Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova.

Looming beyond that are No.6 seeds Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka, their projected quarterfinal opponents.

Five years ago, Hlavackova and Hradecka went all the way in Paris, and they are building up a head of steam this time, too. On Friday they put Ukrainian twins Nadiia and Lyudmyla Kichenok to the sword, winning 6-1, 6-3.

In the bottom half there was success for another team to have lifted the trophy, Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, who eventually saw off Gabriela Dabrowski and María José Martínez Sánchez, 6-2, 7-6(5).

The 2013 champions, seeded No.7 this time, will next face big-serving Julia Goerges and Karolina Pliskova. Also advancing were the in-form Kiki Bertens and Johanna Larsson.

Fresh from lifting the title in Nürnberg, Bertens and Larsson sent shockwaves through the draw on Thursday afternoon when they knocked out defending champions Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova in straight sets. They followed this up with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win over María Irigoyen and Paula Kania to set up a potential third-round date with the Williams sisters.

wtatennis.com

Martina Hingis: Chasing the Santina Slam

Martina Hingis & Leander Paes make winning start at French Open mixed doubles

Indian tennis stars Leander Paes and Sania Mirza cruised into the mixed doubles pre-quarterfinals of the French Open along with their respective partners. 

While Paes and his Swiss Partner Martina Hingis, winners of three Grand Slam titles last season, beat German Colombian pair of Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Robert Farah 6-4 6-4 in the opening round, second seeded Sania and Ivan Dodig of Croatia eased past French duo of Mathilde Johansson and Tristan Lamasine 6-4 6-3 in their opener later in the day.

indianexpress.com

Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza kick off French Open bid

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PARIS, France - Co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza are just five matches away from a Non-Calendar Year "Santina" Slam, and the top seeds opened with a statement first round win at the French Open, defeating Daria Kasatkina and Alexandra Panova, 7-6(4), 6-2.

Kasatkina was one half of the team who ended Santina's 41-match winning streak at the Qatar Total Open, edging past the reigning Wimbledon, US Open, and Australian Open champions alongside Elena Vesnina in a match tie-break, but fresh off of their first career red clay court title at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, Hingis and Mirza were all business to start, racing out to a 5-0 lead in the opening set.

The Russians clawed their way back to level and saved two set points in the 12th game to force a tie-break. On serve through the first six points, Santina broke away from there, winning four of the last five points to all but extinguish any hope of an upset.

Clinching victory in just over 90 minutes, Hingis and Mirza booked a second round meeting with either Karin Knapp and Mandy Minella, or Japanese duo Nao Hibino and Eri Hozumi.

wtatennis.com

Roland Garros ladies doubles draw: Santina

Santina vs. History: Co-No.1s Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza lead the field in the Roland Garros women's doubles draw, which was released on Sunday. The reigning Wimbledon, US Open, and Australian Open champions arrive in Paris hoping to become the first team to clinch a Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam since the Williams Sisters at this very tournament in 2010. Riding a 41-match winning streak through the Qatar Total Open, Hingis and Mirza suffered a minor slump at Indian Wells and Miami, and broke their three-month title drought at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. Defeating Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in a match tie-break, the pair captured their first trophy on red clay, after finishing second to French Connection Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix and the Mutua Madrid Open.

Santina wouldn't have to play the French stars - or the recently reunited Williamses - until the final, with No.3 seeds Chan Hao-Ching and Chan Yung-Jan, No.6 seeds and Australian Open finalists Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka, and No.7 seeds Makarova and Vesnina falling into their half of the draw. Opening against Daria Kasatkina - one half of the team that ended their winning streak in Doha - and Alexandra Panova, Hingis and Mirza will likely be relieved by their draw, one that gives them time to play into form in time for a projected Melbourne rematch against Hlavackova and Hradecka in the last eight.

The Swiss Miss already won a Calendar Year Grand Slam in doubles, back in 1998 with Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Jana Novotna; if she and Mirza can maintain the kind of consistency that took them through the clay court season, the team to beat will be heavy favorites to cement their legendary status in Paris.

wtatennis.com

Not an easy draw, but not the toughest. I highly doubt the Williams sisters are gonna make it to the finals, but the rest of the field could be tricky.

Roland Garros Contenders: "Santina"

Martina Hingis and Sania Mirza love a good winning streak.

They christened their partnership last spring with 14 straight victories through Indian Wells, Miami, and Charleston. They ended the season undefeated from the US Open through the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global, bringing that streak into 2016 before the run ended at the Qatar Total Open - with an impressive haul that included nine titles and two Grand Slam trophies.

Co-No.1s since January, they head into the French Open in search of a "Santina Slam" with two active streaks in their arsenal: one at major tournaments (18 straight since Wimbledon), and the four matches in a row to win their most recent title - and first on red clay - at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.

For all of their winning, red clay was the final frontier for a team who arrived in Rome after finishing second in both Stuttgart and Madrid - losing to the then-streaking French Connection of Caroline Garciaand Kristina Mladenovic each time.

Recovering from a second set hiccup on Sunday, Santina dispatched Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, who they beat to kick off their Grand Slam streak at last year's Wimbledon final, 6-1, 6-7(5), 10-3.

The French Open bears extra significance for two women who've experienced bitter disappointment on the terre battue. Mirza was one half of another team to beat back in 2011, when she and Vesnina reached the final at Roland Garros. Her bid to win her first major women's doubles title came to an unexpected halt at the hands of an unseeded Czech duo, Silent H's Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.

Hingis' struggles to peak in Paris are well-documented, and the French Open is the only major tournament where she lacks a box set of singles, doubles, and mixed titles.

None of that may matter a fortnight from now, as Santina seem to have weathered a spring hardcourt slump to rebound on a surface where they've traditionally enjoyed the least success. Earning wins over nearly all of the teams likely to pair up next week, Hingis and Mirza's French nemeses will have the added pressure of playing at home, while defending champions Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova lost the only match they've played on red clay since winning the Miami Open.

Victory would cement their already legendary partnership with a Non-Calendar Year "Santina Slam." The last team to win four majors in a row was Venus and Serena Williams, whose campaign also started at Wimbledon and ended at the French Open in 2010.

Victory would also mean that the streak goes on. Along with Pam Shriver and Martina Navratilova, Hingis is one of only three women to complete the Calendar Year Grand Slam in women's doubles - albeit with two different partners - in 1998, winning the Australian Open with Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and the final three legs with Jana Novotna. Who would believe that, 18 years later, the Swiss Miss could be in contention for a Golden Slam?

Well before such lofty goals appeared possible, Mirza was quick to pump the breaks and add perspective.

"It's a Grand Slam for a reason, and the reason is that it's so tough to win even one in your lifetime,"Mirza told WTA Insider back in January after she and Hingis had captured the Brisbane International. "If it happened, it would be amazing, but it's not something we're focusing on, to be honest.

"We're just trying to take it one match at a time. Every match is tough; we're just going to go there, focus on one match at a time, and hopefully get into the Slam.

"If we win it, great. If we don't, we move on."

wtatennis.com

Roger Federer withdrawals from Roland Garros, hopes to be fit for grass season in June

World No.3 Roger Federer has withdrawn from Roland-Garros 2016, the first time the 17-time Grand Slam champion will be missing from the main draw in Paris since making his major debut here in 1999.

The 34-year-old, who completed his career Grand Slam with victory at Roland-Garros in 2009, has been dealing with a series of injuries in 2016, including recovery from knee surgery following the Australian Open and a back injury in recent weeks.

Federer took to Philippe-Chatrier Court for a short practice session on Wednesday in the hope that he had made a return to full fitness in time for his 68th Grand Slam.

But the Swiss took to Facebook on Thursday to announce his decision to retire, ending his record run of consecutive Grand Slam appearances at 65.

"I regret to announce that I have made the decision not to play in this year’s French Open," Federer wrote.

"I have been making steady progress with my overall fitness, but I am still not 100% and feel I might be taking an unnecessary risk by playing in this event before I am really ready.

"This decision was not easy to make, but I took it to ensure I could play the remainder of the season and help to extend the rest of my career.

"I remain as motivated and excited as ever and my plan is to achieve the highest level of fitness before returning to the ATP World Tour for the upcoming grass court season.

"I am sorry for my fans in Paris but I very much look forward to returning to Roland-Garros in 2017."

Roland-Garros 2016 begins on Sunday 22 May. The draw ceremony will take place on Friday 20 May at 11.15am.


RolandGarros.com

Well this was inevitable, sad that his Grand Slam appearance streak had to end in such a way. 

But I would rather he be 100 % for Wimbledon, the Olympics and the U.S. Open in Sept. than having these continuous starts and stops throughout the rest of the season.  

It will be strange not having him in the draw at all at a Grand Slam for the first time in so many years. 

At least Martina Hingis & Sania Mirza are still going to play in hopes of capturing their "Santinaa Slam". 

So that's something to look forward to.

Roger Federer Flashback: winning his maiden French Open title 2009

Ah, the memories. Still brings a smile to my face every time I watch it. His one and only French Open.  ♥♥♥

Roger Federer out on the practice courts of Roland Garros

After several days of waiting as the rumours swirled around the health of his back, Roger Federer turned up on Wednesday for a practice session on No.1 Court at Roland Garros.

A mid-day appearance by his coach Ivan Ljubicic in the players’ lounge at Philippe Chatrier Court had people talking. And a few hours later, Federer confirmed the whispers himself: he was at Roland-Garros.

In the afternoon, the “Maestro” hit balls back and forth for about 20 minutes on No.1 Court with “Ljubi” and under the watchful eye of his entire team.

The aim of the session was for Federer to ease himself into this year's campaign in Paris and - perhaps most importantly - to test out his back. After an injury forced him to withdraw from the Madrid Masters, he needs to know whether his back will allow him to be competitive here.

However, as can happen in Paris, the rain began to fall and practice was cut short, perhaps leaving the question unresolved.

At 34 years old, the Swiss will take no chances when it comes to his physical condition. He decided to call it a day when the court became too slippery.

rolandgarros.com

Roger Federer feels good about his chances at Roland Garros

Roger Federer opened up about his chances against Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray when they hit the second Grand Slam Event of the year in Paris.


Federer likes his chances in winning the French Open this year despite concerns over his surgically repaired knee, which the Swiss Maestro had tested at the Monte Carlo Masters.


Federer believes he will be one of the handful favorites to win Roland Garros, but also acknowledged the presence of the other members of the Big Four at the event, as well as Stan Wawrinka's bid to defend his French Open title.


"I think and believe that I can be in the group of the favourites when the moment to play Roland Garros comes," Federer said, reports Tennis World USA.


"For their characters and qualities Rafa and Novak are the main opponents just like Wawrinka who is the defending champion. It will be interesting, also because Murray played good last year on clay, I hope he can raise his level. It's always interesting the period that brings us at the Roland Garros."


Federer won his only Roland Garros title in 2009 and lost four finals appearances against Nadal, who conquered the French Open for an unprecedented nine major titles, thus earning the moniker King of Clay. With Nadal's form dipping this season, Federer may have a shot at winning Roland Garros and extend his all-time Grand Slam records.


Another concern for Federer heading into Paris is Djokovic, who has been in remarkable form despite the Serb's early exit at the Monte Carlo Masters. Federer has yet to top Djokovic in big events since 2012, when the Swiss defeated Nole in the semifinal round of Wimbledon en route to his 17th career major title victory.


Djokovic will have plenty of rest and competitive matches leading up to Roland Garros, which should keep him sharp just in time for the clay-court finale.


As for Murray and Wawrinka, the two have yet to muster victories in major and ATP 1000 Masters tournaments this season.


After a promising performance early in the season, reaching the final round of the Australian Open and helping Great Britain advance into the next round of the Davis Cup, Murray has not been able to maintain his form.


The Scot suffered early round losses in Indian Wells and Miami Open, and just when it seems he would finally score his first title of the season at the Monte Carlo Masters, Nadal stopped him in the semifinal round.


There should be plenty of factors that could affect Federer's bid at the French Open this season, including his health and knee that forced him to be sidelined for more than two months. But the 34-year-old is positive about his game and expects to be in top shape ahead by the time he arrives in Paris.


"I'm returning a lot better. It's better than other beginnings of the clay-court season," Federer said, reports the ATP's official website. "I don't know if it's because of the new racquet. I'll have to keep that and my serve will come as I play more matches."

yibada.com