Leander Paes hails new partner Melzer after Shanghai title

Leander Paes hails new partner Melzer after Shanghai title

India's Leander Paes and Jurgen Melzer of Austria yesterday claimed Shanghai Masters tennis men's doubles title with a 7-5, 4-6, 10-5 victory over Poland's Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski.

HURRAY! Leander Paes and Jurgen Melzer celebrate match point against Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski in the Shanghai Masters doubles final yesterday. Pic/Getty Images

It was the first time Paes and Melzer joined hands as a team. The duo had ended the 20-match winning streak of Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan in the semi-finals.

The third-seeded Indo-Austrian pair clawed back from a break down at 4-5 in the first set to win the final three games. The sixth-seeded Fyrstenberg and Matkowski broke in the ninth game of the second set to draw level but could not carry the momentum in the match tie-break as Melzer and Paes opened a 7-1 lead and soon closed the match that took 83 minutes.

"I have tremendous respect for Jurgen," Paes was quoted as saying on the ATP website. "I think that he's one of the most hard working and talented tennis players I've seen over the past 20 years that I've been on the tour. He's beaten two No 1's in the same week, Rafael Nadal (in the singles third round), then the Bryan brothers last night. For me it's a big honour to play with Jurgen. Not only is he a Grand Slam champion at Wimbledon this year, but I consider him one of the great talents in tennis and a good guy."

Melzer said they make a good pair. "Finishing it off with a title is great. It's my first title in a Masters 1000 event. I think we can match up great. It's also nice to have so much experience next to you. You always feel comfortable. So it was a great week."