Tuesday, July 5 2005 17:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Mumbai: India's doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi, who returned home after clinching the Wimbledon mixed doubles crown with Frenchwoman Mary Pierce on Sunday, today (July 5, 2005) said, "Winning a Grand Slam title is always very special. Winning it at Wimbledon is even more so."

It has, however, not yet been decided whether his successful partnership with Pierce, a top singles player, would continue at the US Open in August, Bhupathi, who has seven other titles in Grand Slam events and all of them in partnership with another player, told sources in Mumbai.

"We will have to wait and see whether that happens," Bhupathi, who would be celebrating his 31st birthday tomorrow (July 6, 2005) after having clinched his fourth mixed doubles Grand Slam crown and eighth Grand Slam title overall, said.

His earlier mixed doubles titles in Grand Slams had come in the 1997 French Open, with Rika Hiraki, in the 1999 US Open, with Ai Sugiyama, and in the 2002 Wimbledon championship, with Elena Likhovtseva.

The Chennai-born six-foot tall Bhupathi has won 37 doubles titles on the international circuit, including three out of his four Grand Slam men's doubles crowns with compatriot Leander Paes before the 'Indian Express' broke their partnership in 2001.

Asked about his immediate future plans Bhupathi, who also runs event management company GloboSport that handles India's top woman player Sania Mirza, said he would be heading to Germany to rejoin the circuit in the Stuttgart Open in combination with American Martin Damm.