Leander Paes needs no inspiration to come up with a brilliant show on court. But if it comes from someone as highly acclaimed as British poet Rudyard Kipling, then so be it!

Kipling's IF inspired me: Paes

Leander Paes needs no inspiration to come up with a brilliant show on court. But if it comes from someone as highly acclaimed as British poet Rudyard Kipling, then so be it!

Yesterday before stepping onto Centre Court with Zimbabwean partner Cara Black to face 11th seeds Wesley Moodie and Lisa Raymond in the Wimbledon mixed doubles final, Paes' eyes once again fell on one of the verses of the Kipling classic IF, inscribed on the door.

"It's from the second verse of IF and it goes like ufffd If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same ufffd For me, these are lines to live by and thoroughly inspiring especially when you are on the verge of accomplishing something so great as a Wimbledon title.u00a0 The lines are inscribed in the centre with the women's trophies lined up in the showcase on one side and the men's and junior boys trophies on the other. If that's not inspiration then I don't know what is," Paes told MiD DAY last night after he and Black outplayed Moodie-Raymond 6-4, 7-6 (5) at the All-England Club. This was Paes' 12th Grand Slam title and though he is not one to count his trophies, deep down even he'd admit this one is special. It makes him India's highest Grand Slam winner of all time, leaving behind erstwhile partner Mahesh Bhupathi on 11.

u00a0Paes continued: "I've read those lines before but yesterday Rhea (wife) told me in the morning that she was getting a very good feeling of the day. And after reading those lines again before the final, it felt great.

"I'd say they are not lines but lifelines that spell the exact history that is associated with this tournament.

Even I have so much history of my own attached to Wimbledon ufffdright from the junior title I won here to the men's doubles (1999) and the mixed titles (1999, 2003, 2010), they have all been
special."

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