Paes-Melzer win Shanghai Masters doubles

SHANGHAI - India’s Leander Paes and Jurgen Melzer of Austria Sunday 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.

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 semifinals.

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. He most of the time has your back. So it was a great week. I enjoyed it.”

The 29-year-old Melzer won his third tour-level doubles title of the season, following wins at Wimbledon and Zagreb with Philipp Petzschner. Paes, 37, won his second title of the season, and the 44th of his career.