Paes-Shaughnessy through to finals

New York, Sept 5: Leander Paes has remained the lone flag bearer for India as he and his American partner Meghann Shaughnessy made it to the finals of the mixed doubles, while Sania Mirza falters in the women's doubles quarter-finals of the US Open.

The Indo-American pair defeated the US-British combo of Liezel Huber and Jamie Murray 6-7, 7-6, 10-5 to seal victory in the tie breaker.

After losing the first set, the Indo-US duo came out all gun blazing to secure the second set and took the next game in the tie breker where they came out truimph in the duel that lasted two hours and 20 minutes.

Paes-Shaughnessy combo though commited many unforced errors, seven to be precise as against one to their opponent, but got off the hook on the basis of higher break points conversion and better second serve percentage, 50 per cent and 56 per cent respectively.

The unseeded Indo-American pair will now take on all Belarusian combination of Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi, who have incidentally defeated the other Indian pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza in the quarter-finals of the event.

Meanwhile, Sania Mirza's rollercoaster campaign in the US Open came to an end as she and her American partner crashed out of the women's doubles quarter-finals losing a three setter to Chinese Taipei pair of Yung-Jan Chan and Chia-Jung Chuang.

The 16th seeded Indo-US pair were outplayed 3-6, 6-3, 4-6 by their fifth seeded Chinese Taipei pair in a contest that lasted two hour and 13 minutes.

UNI