Written by
The Sports Network
Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek ended
the three-year Australian Open reign of Bob and Mike Bryan on Saturday,
beating the top-ranked twin brothers in the men's doubles final.
Paes and Stepanek earned a 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 victory to beat the Bryans, who had
won the last three Aussie Open titles, as well as five of the last six. The
American brothers, also the reigning Wimbledon champions, were trying for a
record 12th Grand Slam title.
Paes and Stepanek hit 41 winners en route to the victory, in which they won 80
percent of their points on first serve and broke the Bryans twice. After
dominating the first-set tiebreak, they won the second set in 37 minutes.
Paes, 38, earned his seventh Grand Slam men's doubles title. He was a runner-
up to the Bryans in last year's final, playing alongside fellow Indian Mahesh
Bhupathi.
The Czech Stepanek, 33, earned the first Grand Slam doubles title of his
career. He was a runner-up in the men's doubles event at the 2002 U.S. Open.
Paes and Stepanek split $475,000 for the victory.
The Sports Network