The Indian cupboard returned bare at yet another Grand Slam after Leander Paes [Images] and the United States' Meghann Shaughnessy went out of the Wimbledon mixed doubles in the quarter-finals on Saturday.

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Paes and Shaughnessy, the eighth seeds, suffered an agonizing 6-2, 3-6, 4-6 defeat against the French duo of Fabrice Santoro and Severine Bremond after an hour and 49 minutes.

The Indo-American pair was superior, at least in terms of statistics, on court. They had a first serve percentage of 74, against their opponents' 65 percent. They also converted two break points, as many as Santoro and Bremond did.

Crucially, Paes and Shaughnessy won an equal numbers points in the match, 85. If anything, they hit more winners, 40 as against 35 by their vanquishers, but were unable to deliver when it mattered most and bowed out.

Hopefully, the collective pay cheque of 10,300-pounds would be some consolation for them. 

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