LEANDER PAES & MARTINA HINGIS TO TEAM TOGETHER ALL YEAR AFTER WINNING AUSTRALIAN OPEN; KASTLES RISE IN RANKINGS

Written by: Staff on 3rd February 2015

LEANDER PAES & MARTINA HINGIS TO TEAM TOGETHER ALL YEAR AFTER WINNING AUSTRALIAN OPEN; KASTLES RISE IN RANKINGS

epa04598225 Martina Hingis (L) of Switzerland and Leander Paes of India jubilate after winning their mixed doubles finals match against Kristina Mladenovic of France and Daniel Nestor of Canada, on the final day of the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 01 February 2015. EPA/Made Nagi |

Australian Open Title Sparks Paes/Hingis Partnership

Kastles’ Dream Team to Play All 4 Grand Slams This Season

Martina Hingis and Leander Paes of the Kastles have combined to win 13 Australian Open titles.
(Photo Courtesy of Martina Hingis on Facebook)

After capturing the King Trophy twice with Washington, Leander Paes and Martina Hingis made their Grand Slam debut by winning the Australian Open mixed doubles title on Sunday (Replay, Highlights).

For the Kastles’ dream team, it’s only the beginning.

Following their 6-4, 6-3 victory over defending champions Daniel Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic, Paes and Hingis revealed that they will team up again at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.

“We’ve signed up to play the whole year together,” Paes said in a video interview. “For us, winning and losing are part of the game. We’ve lost so many matches in our careers and we’ve won so many in our careers that to go out there every day, be the best that we can be and keep helping each other… is just a treat.”

The Paes/Hingis partnership was born in D.C. on July 8, 2013, when the former World No. 1s defeated Kveta Peschke and Robert Kendrick to lead Washington past the New York Sportimes.

In all, Paes and Hingis have contributed 31 of the 102 Grand Slam titles won by past or present Kastles players. Neither shows signs of slowing down.

Paes played the Australian Open main draw for the first time in 1994, and one year later, a 14-year-old Hingis debuted in Melbourne.

The Swiss has gone on to win nine of her 16 majors inside Rod Laver Arena, with multiple titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Hingis is the only woman or man to sweep all three events during the Australian Open’s hard-court era (1988-present).

“After 20 years being back on that court, who would have thought,” Hingis said in a press conference. “It’s not even like the cherry on top. It’s more than that to be able to hold another trophy with Leander. It’s more than I could ever dream of.”

Hingis and Paes won their first 13 sets as Kastles partners and all 10 of their sets at the Australian Open. Their chemistry caught the attention of broadcast teams from both Tennis Channel and ESPN3.

“The fact that these guys get reps together in July for three weeks at a time no doubt contributes to their comfort level,” commented Brett Haber of Tennis Channel. “Over the two seasons that Martina’s been playing for the Kastles, she and Lea together are 17-2 in mixed. As they say in D.C. with the five-time champions, refuse to lose.”

Martina Hingis and Leander Paes saved a set point in their opening match at the Australian Open.
(Photo Courtesy of Australian Open on Facebook)

Paes and Hingis picked up in Melbourne where they left off in Springfield, site of the 2014 WTT Finals. Asked if their Kastles experience helped them down under, the No. 7 seeds nodded in unison.

“Our understanding of each other is amazing,” Paes said after winning his 15th Grand Slam title. “On the court, I just feel like I have such a big advantage because I don’t have to overplay. Martina is such a smart tennis player and she knows exactly what movements I’m going to do; I know what movements she’s going to do.”

When Paes speaks highly of a partner, it shouldn’t be taken lightly.

The veteran has also won mixed doubles titles with Martina Navratilova, Cara Black and Lisa Raymond, each of whom has spent at least 137 weeks as the World No. 1.

Navratilova was on hand for the final to support Paes and Hingis, who bears her name and shares a place with her in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Paes and Hingis jumped out a 3-0 lead by taking the first eight points, then saving three break points. After Mladenovic won her first two returns on Hingis’ serve in the third game, the Kastles called an audible.

“She’s got some amazing returns inside-out from the deuce court,” said Paes. “Martina came to me and said, ‘We made a mistake; we should have played the I-formation.’ All of a sudden we went to the I-formation every single game after that and pretty much cruised right through. That’s the trust we have in each other.”

Though Nestor and Mladenovic rallied to tie the first set at 4-4, Paes maintained his composure and held for 5-4 when Hingis hit a backhand winner.

With Nestor serving next, Hingis’ strong returns intimidated the Canadian into a pair of double faults that gave the Kastles a one-set lead. Paes and Hingis broke their male opponent three times in all.

“Nestor is one of the best mixed doubles servers in the game,” said Paes, who partnered Nestor to the 2013 Winston-Salem Open title. “He is lefty. He has this wicked slice serve on the ad court, which is Martina’s side. He can hit his spot down the T. To see how quick Martina reacts to it, then commits to a shot, that’s something I learned.”

Kastles fans have seen this scene before as Leander Paes lifts Martina Hingis into his arms.
(Photo Courtesy of Australian Open on Twitter)

If Hingis’ returns did the most damage in the first set, Paes’ serve was the shot of the second. The two-time WTT Male MVP connected on five aces, including three in a row to take a 3-2 lead.

Nestor, Hingis and Mladenovic were all broken thereafter, leaving Paes to serve for the championship at 5-3.

With a title on his racquet and the roof closed overhead, Paes probably felt like he was back at Kastles Stadium at the Smith Center. On his team’s first match point, he landed a half-volley before Hingis hit an overhead smash that Mladenovic could not handle.

Paes lifted Hingis into the air to celebrate, just like he did when they clinched the King Trophy in 2013 and 2014. During the on-court ceremony, Paes made sure to thank “all you guys back home, in Washington and all over the world who put us together.”

Which raised the question: Why didn’t the Kastles’ dream team take its talents to the Grand Slams sooner?

After all, Hingis’ comeback on tour began three days after she and Paes defeated Andy Roddick and Alisa Kleybanova in the 2013 WTT Finals.

Paes asked, but Hingis hesitated.

“I was a bit scared of this moment,” Hingis revealed. “I think that’s why it took me a little bit. He kept asking, but I was a bit shy to say because I felt maybe another partner would be better for him. He wants to win; he has a chance to win the title. I just didn’t feel like I was going to be good enough. I’m really happy that I finally accepted.”

As is Paes.

The Indian’s trophy case includes every Grand Slam men’s and mixed doubles championship except one. With Hingis by his side, Paes will seek his first French Open mixed doubles title beginning on May 24.

Click above to see Leander Paes and Martina Hingis discuss the formation and future of their team.

Venus, Hingis Make Major Moves up WTA Rankings

Paes, Anderson, Rodionova Remain Ranked Inside Top 25

Venus Williams and Martina Hingis played doubles together at Kastles Stadium last season.
(Photo by Willis Bretz)

Australian Open singles quarterfinalist Venus Williams and mixed doubles champion Martina Hingis made major moves in Monday’s world rankings.

Williams rose from 18th to 11th in the women’s singles rankings following her 10-1 start to the season. She hasn’t been higher since coming in at No. 9 during the week of Mar. 28, 2011.

After representing the U.S. Fed Cup team in Argentina this weekend, Williams is scheduled to play WTA Premier events in Doha and Dubai.

Fellow Fed Cupper Madison Keys, who edged Williams 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 at the Australian Open, jumped from No. 35 to No. 20.

In the women’s doubles rankings, Hingis moved up two spots to No. 7, her top mark since she was World No. 5 during the week of Aug. 13, 2001.

Though no ranking points are awarded for mixed doubles, Hingis was helped by her two women’s doubles wins with new No. 10 Flavia Pennetta. Top 25 players Yung-Jan Chan and Jie Zheng beat Hingis and Pennetta 6-3, 6-3 en route to the final.

Hingis’ championship partner Leander Paes remains at No. 23 in this week’s men’s doubles rankings after he and 28th-ranked Raven Klaasen fell to eventual Australian Open champions Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-4, 6-1.

What can winning a Grand Slam title do for your ranking? Just ask the Italians: Fognini rose 36 spots to No. 19, while Bolelli rocketed from No. 134 to No. 27.

Like Paes, 6-foot-8 Kastle Kevin Anderson did not move in the men’s singles rankings. After reaching the fourth round for the third straight Australian Open, Anderson held onto his career-high ranking of No. 15.

Also holding steady is Anastasia Rodionova, who is ranked 19th in women’s doubles. Rodionova has been inside the Top 20 each week since the start of the 2014 Kastles season on July 7.

Topics: 2015 Australian Open, Anastasia Rodionova, Kevin Anderson, Leander Paes, Martina Hingis, Tennis, Venus Williams, Washington Kastles

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10sBalls_com says:

February 3, 2015 at 10:13 am

@Leander & @mhingis TO TEAM TOGETHER ALL YEAR AFTER WINNING #Australianopen; @WashKastles RISE IN RANKINGS- http://t.co/QFWyX4NAQO #Leander
dusanVemic says:

February 3, 2015 at 8:12 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: @Leander & @mhingis TO TEAM TOGETHER ALL YEAR AFTER WINNING #Australianopen; @WashKastles RISE IN RANKINGS- http://t.co/Q…