Paes, Black win US Open mixed doubles

New York: India's Leander Paes and Zimbabwe's Cara Black won the mixed doubles title at the US Open on Thursday, beating Briton Jamie Murray and American Liezel Huber 7-6, 6-4.

The fifth seeds saved two set points in the first-set tiebreak before breaking once in the second to clinch victory in what was their first grand slam event together.

Black hit a crucial volley to save the first set point and Murray, who won the mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 2007 with Jelena Jankovic, netted a volley on the second.

Murray was the only man to lose his serve, in the fifth game of the second, and Paes served out for his eighth grand-slam title, while Black has now won seven, including three mixed.

Tough loss

"The trick in doubles is to find a good partner," Paes said in a courtside interview. "I let Cara do all the work and just sat back and enjoyed it.

Huber and Murray had beaten the second seeds, Serbian Nenad Zimonjic and Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia, in the quarterfinals but found Paes and Black too strong. "It wasn't a tough loss, they were just the better team," Huber said.

Black and Huber will join up in the final of the women's doubles when they play American Lisa Raymond and Australian Sam Stosur, the 10th seeds.

Paes will be looking to win the men's doubles title for the second time when he and Czech Lukas Dlouhy, the seventh seeds, play American twins Bob and Mike Bryan in the final.