MELBOURNE: Martina Hingis and Leander Paes turned back the clock Friday to make the Australian Open mixed doubles final, where they will face third seeds Daniel Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic.
The veteran campaigners, seeded seven, drew on their considerable experience to overcome Taiwan's Hsieh Su-Wei and Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 7-5, 6-4.
Nestor and Mladenovic downed India's Sania Mirza and Brazil's Bruno Soares, the top seeds.
Hingis, the holder of five Grand Slam singles titles and 10 major doubles crowns -- nine women's and one mixed -- came out of six years' retirement last year.
Now 34, she partnered Italy's Flavia Pennetta to make the US Open final and continued her encouraging comeback at Melbourne Park.
"I have a great partner in Leander. He's been there and done it all before," she said. "He has given me a lot of confidence and we have great chemistry.
"This will be the first time in a final here since 2006 and a victory would be nice. I'm just enjoying the moment," added Hingis, who spent 209 weeks as the world number one singles player.
The decider on Sunday will be her first final in Melbourne since 2006, when she partnered another Indian, Mahesh Bhupathi, to claim the mixed doubles title.
Paes, 41, has won eight men's doubles and six mixed doubles Grand Slams and said Hingis was a joy to work with.
"It is fantastic to play with Martina," he said.
"Everyone knows what great work she did on the court but she is also a great human being off the court."
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