Despite having won six mixed doubles Grand Slams earlier, Bhupathi never expected to win this one. Here's why...

For a player who has been working hard on the circuit for seven years now to add to his three men's doubles Grand Slam titles (see box), Mahesh Bhupathi instead had to settle for yet another mixed doubles crown at the Australian Open over the weekend.

Bhupathi added a seventh mixed doubles title to his kitty, pairing for the first time with an Indian Sania Mirza. But the six mixed Grand Slam titles did not make him and Mirza favourites to win at Melbourne Park.u00a0 At least, Bhupathi never thought so.

The wild card entrants at the year's first Grand Slam least expected to lay their hands on the trophy, Bhupathi told MiD DAY in an interview.

Excerpts.

Being a wild card entry at the Australian Open mixed doubles event, did you honestly expect to win the tournament?

To be honest, we obviously did not expect to win because not only were we wild card entrants but one must not forget that Sania was playing in a competitive tournament after a long time and coming off an injury break.
So in that sense, the win is a bonus. We just took to the court and started getting through our matches really well, and that's when we thought we have a chance of wining this.