Aus Open: Paes-Stepanek lift men's doubles

Melbourne, Jan 28 (IBNS) India's Leander Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek shocked World No.1 Bryan brothers, Mike and Bob, to win the men's doubles titles of the Australian Open here Saturday.

The Indian also completed a career Grand Slam of doubles titles having never won the Australian Open earlier. This was not only Paes´ first Australian Open title but also the first with Stepanek, with whom he forged a partnership at the start of the year after splitting up with his compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi.

Paes and Stepanek won 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 at the Rod Laver Arena and dashed the Bryan brothers hopes of becoming the most successful men´s doubles team in Grand Slam history.

The American duo were bidding for a record-breaking 12th Grand Slam title but defeat means they are still at par with Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde´s total of 11.

For Paes it was his seventh doubles titles and 13 overall incuding six mixed doubles titles. Of the seven Grand Slam titles Paes won, three with Bhupathi while the other four were with three different Czech partners -- Martin Damm, Lukas Dlouhy and now Stepanek.

This was just their fourth Tour-level event together and only Stepanek´s second Grand Slam final - his best prior performance being US Open runner-up alongside Jiri Novak in 2002.

After clinching it 7-1 on a tiebreak, Paes and Stepanek then found another gear in the second as they crucially broke the Bryan serve twice to wrap up the win.

"I know what this means for him (Paes) because this title was missing from his career grand slam, and I´m happy I can be by his side," Stepanek said.