India culminated its finest Grand Slam showing ever with a big win in the 2009 Australian Open Mixed Doubles Championship in Melbourne. Doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi added the Mixed Doubles title to his Men’s Doubles Runner-up trophy while India’s Yuki Bhambri upheld his number one seed and cruised to a 6-3, 6-1 triumph over German Alexandros-Ferdinandos Georquodas to claim the Juniors Championship.

For the 22 year old Sania Mirza, the Mixed Doubles Championship is her first Grand Slam win. Mirza reached the third round in the 2008 Singles event but concentrated on her doubles in 2009. The commitment was worth it for the popular 5’8” 126 pound beauty.

In post match interviews, Mirza was generous in praise of her esteemed partner and in the joy of accomplishing her first major title. Mirza felt the hot Australian summer worked to the unseeded team’s advantage throughout the tournament. Bhupathi owns a sports management firm and his company has been managing Sania for several years. The duo began teaming up two years ago. They have now competed in all four Grand Slam events and should expect to get more recognition now that they have a major title.

In the final match, the Indian team took control early and never let up against another unseeded surprise, France’s Nathalie Dechy and Israel’s Andy Ram. Mirza served the match out at 5-1 to complete an impressive string of victories that included resume-building upsets. Among their victims were 6th seeded Czech’s Kveta Peschke and Pavel Vizner, Canada’s highly regarded Aleksandra Wozniak and Daniel Nestor and the semi-finals win over another Czech entry, Iveta Benesova and Lukas Diouchy.

Canada’s Wozniak and Nestor provided the severest challenge to Mirza and Bhupathi. The Canadians claimed the only set the Indian team lost during the tourney. After that win, Mirza played her best tennis to date and showed great speed at the net. Bhupathi coached the pretty brunette well as her mid-court game became more aggressive and her well portioned serves allowed Mahesh to intercept many returns.

The match was played at the Rod Laver Arena and was completed in less than an hour. Mirza and Bhupathi won the first two games of the first set but then lost three straight to trail 2-3. For a brief moment, it looked like they would falter in the finals as they did last year. Mirza and Bhupathi stabilized their backcourt play and reeled off four consecutive games to grab the first set.

On serve in the second set, Mirza saved a break point with a miraculous angles forehand winner and then won her game. Dechy and Ram seemed to lose heart with Sania’s save and the match fell apart quickly.

Mirza and Bhupathi committed only 10 unforced errors in the match. They won 53 points compared to Dechy and Rams’ 33. Perhaps the key to the win was the fact that Dechy and Ram only won 12 of 42 receiving points. Mirza and Bhupathi are scheduled to play in the year’s second Grand Slam in Paris. Perhaps they will get the pre-tournament recognition they have now earned.