Melbourne: Defending champions Leander Paes and Martina Navratilova faltered at the last hurdle, losing in the mixed doubles final of the Australian Open on Sunday. The fourth seeded duo was upset by unseeded pair of Russian Elena Bovina and Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia and Montenegro 1-6, 6-7 (3-7).

Bovina and Zimonjic, teaming up for the first time, also dashed Navratilova’s hopes for her 10th Grand Slam mixed doubles title. Zimonjic and Bovina broke both Navratilova and Paes’ serves as they raced through the first set in 23 minutes.

Navratilova and Paes forced the second set to a tie-breaker, where Zimonjic and Bovina quickly opened a 6-1 lead before taking the decider 7-3 to win their first title together.

Navratilova has won 167 singles titles and 173 in doubles event, including 58 Grand Slam titles. Paes, making a comeback after a five-month lay-off due to a nonmalignant brain lesion, is now setting his sights on his fourth Olympic appearance in Athens in august.

Gael Monfils of France won the boys’ final against compatriot Josselyn Ouanna 6-0, 6-3 in 48 minutes. The girls’ singles title was claimed by 16-year-old Israeli Shahar Peer, who upset third seed Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-4.