Leander Paes, Lukas Dlouhy win French Open men's doubles

Leander Paes celebrated his ninth Grand Slam doubles! Seems like this guy never slow down!

Paes teamed with Lukas Dlouhy to capture the French Open title with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Wesley Moodie and Dick Norman.

It was 35-year-old Paes's fifth men's doubles Grand Slam. He has also won four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, including the 2003 Wimbledon and Australian Open trophies with Martina Navratilova.

Navratilova was spotted at the stand sitting next to Bill Gates.

"Martina has been a soulmate for many years. We've been through a lot in life, especially me in the last eight years. She's been along with me, supporting me, guiding me at times," said Paes.

"When I was diagnosed with cancer and I couldn't play, she basically stayed away from the game and didn't play mixed doubles until I came back."

"Whenever I look at a person like Navratilova, she gives me a lot of inspiration. It was strange that just at the end of the second set when we were getting a bit nervous and a bit edgy, she came out there and was just making eye contact."

"Lukas served three doubles faults early in the third set. I told him at one point, Martina is out there. Come on. Have a look at her. She's inspiring us."

Paes and Dlouhy first teamed up at Roland Garros last year, losing in the last 16 to eventual champions Pablo Cuevas and Luis Horna.

They then finished runners-up to Mike and Bob Bryan in the 2008 US Open final.

"We started playing together at Roland Garros last year. We lost then to the champions so we made it a point that we would come back and try and win it this year," added Paes.

Judging from the way they celebrated their win by hugging and hoisting each other into the air, they'll probably stick around for more Grand Slam moments like this.

In the women's doubles, Spaniards Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual won their second consecutive French Open women's doubles title by beating Victoria Azarenka and Elena Vesnina 6-1, 6-1 on Friday.


(Via AP; Images by Patrick Kovarik/Matthew Stockman/AFP/Getty Images)

Svetlana Kuznetsova wins French Open title‎

World no.1 and no.1 seed Dinara Safina could be a heavy favourite to win at Roland Garros final but Svetlana Kuznetsova has the experience when it comes to winning a Grand Slam.

Kuznetsova had waited nearly five years to win her second major tennis championship.

She captured the 2004 U.S. Open championship at the age of 19 after beating Elena Dementieva.

Last night, also against her fellow compatriot, Kuznetsova defeated Safina 6-4, 6-2 in just 74 minutes without breaking a sweat!

“I have been waiting for this moment for a long time, losing to the winners,” Kuznetsova, a 23-year-old from St. Petersburg, said in her bubbly English on Philippe Chatrier court when accepting the trophy.

“I had been playing many matches, and this time it happened. Really, I didn’t expect it to happen this year."

Steffi Graf, a six-time French Open champion, was on hand to present Kuznetstova the trophy on court.

After thanking the crowd and her family, Kuznetsova praised her fellow countrywoman, Safina, and said that one day she would get that first major championship.

“I guess today I played a little better,” she said.

“I am sorry for that.”

(Via nytimes.com; Images via Yahoo! Sports)

Dinara Safina needs a Grand Slam title to justify no.1 rank

Dinara Safina, who is scheduled to meet fellow compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova at the French Open final, has barely done justice to herself in her two previous appearances in a Grand Slam final.

The world no.1 was defeated by Ana Ivanovic here last year and was crushed in less than an hour by Serena Williams at this year's Australian Open.

Kuznetsova, who won the 2004 US Open, last beat Safina in the current clay-court season, winning the final in Stuttgart.

However, Safina has won eight of their 13 meetings, including five of the last six.

''She's no.1,'' Kuznetsova said.

''She has to win it, not me. I just want to go out there and enjoy it.''

The two players, both 23, have been friends and rivals since they were juniors.

''She was a funny girl,'' Safina recalled.

''I remember her coming to the match with a two-litre Pepsi. You would look at her and think: 'No way can she win a Grand Slam one day'."

"But then she moved to Spain and changed completely. She became much more professional.''

(Via ESPN; Image via BBC Sport/AP)

Roger Federer on the verge of becoming the GOAT

Can he become the greatest player in the Open era?

Roger Federer stayed on course for a first French Open title, and a 14th Grand Slam trophy, with a thrilling recovery to beat Juan Martin Del Potro 3-6, 7-6 (2), 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the semifinals.

JMDP was frustrated with the outcome but he also told Roger, "Everybody wants you to lift the trophy.”

Roger will now face Roland Garros sensation Robin Soderling in Sunday's final.

Victory there will take Federer level with Pete Sampras's mark of 14 majors and make him only the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slam.

Federer will go into his fourth Roland Garros final with an advantage of 9-0 career record over Soderling.

Soderling is aiming for a Swede success.

Soderling, the shock conqueror of four-time champion Rafael Nadal, also needed five sets to reach his maiden Grand Slam final with a 6-3, 7-5, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Fernando Gonzalez.

Gonzalez was down and out of the French Open.

Federer however will not underestimate Soderling in the final.

"Soderling deserves to be there because he also beat Nadal and he was the man to beat in this tournament."

(Images via Yahoo! Sports)