SPORT PAES 3 LAST

Talking about the final match in which he and Dlouhy
staged a remarkable comeback after being a set and 0-2 down
against compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles, Paes
credited his partner for the win.

"We went into the match fired up but they were really
playing well and did not offer us much of a chance in the
beginning. Lukas was really fired up from the moment he went
into the second set and actually told me that he wanted to
start the set and take the pressure off me.

"He was the leader out there and instead of me saying
much to him it was actually he doing a lot of the talking. It
was a pleasant change. He told me, 'you just be solid with me
today, and I'm just gonna take over and do it for you.' And he
did," he said.

Paes had a great chance to win two titles but faltered in
the mixed doubles final along with Cara Black, who looked
off-colour that day. Paes, however, refused to blame his
Zimbabwean teammate for the loss.

"Things are never as simple as they seem to be in
professional sport. Cara was not the weak link or any such
thing. To be honest our opponents played a great match. Let's
give them credit for that," he said. PTI