While talking about Leander Paes, you sometimes overlook just how smooth, wonderfully-elegant and artistic a player he is. Having made some waves with a certain Martina Navratilova in the mixed doubles a few years back, Paes is back with another legend who was, ironically, named after Martina herself, and this pair look capable of going all the way to clinch the Wimbledon mixed doubles title.
While talking about Leander Paes, you sometimes overlook just how smooth, wonderfully-elegant and artistic a player he is. Having made some waves with a certain Martina Navratilova in the mixed doubles a few years back, Paes is back with another legend who was, ironically, named after Martina herself, and this pair look capable of going all the way to clinch the Wimbledon mixed doubles title.
Paes and Martina Hingis had fun, showed just why they are two of the best doubles players in the game, while sometimes making Eduard Roger-Vasselin and Alize Cornet, no mugs by any sense of the word, look like amateurs with delectable drop volleys and acute baseline passes.
After every point the beaming smile of Hingis was visible, with the Swiss clearly enjoying herself out in the middle against one of the modern-day greats in doubles.
Paes was in his element really in this second round mixed doubles match, playing some ridiculous volleys, which had Cornet shaking her head in disdain at the sheer audacity of the shots.
The eventual 6-4, 6-2 win was as easy as they come for Paes and Hingis, and if the Indo-Swiss duo, who won the Australian Open title earlier this year, continues on the same path, a Wimbledon mixed doubles title might just come calling.
Paes and Hingis have other fish to fry of course, with the Indian also teaming up with another experienced player in Daniel Nestor in the men's doubles – they beat Teymuraz Gabashvili and Yen-Hsun Lu in the second round earlier today – while Hingis is seeded number one in the women's doubles along with Sania Mirza.
The Hingis and Sania combination has garnered much of the headlines over on these shores, but watching the Swiss legend play with Paes, this might just be the team to watch, in more ways than one.
