Sports Records and History

Leander Paes won two Grand Slam mixed-doubles titles in 2010 - the Australian Open and U.S. Open, both with Zimbabwean partner Cara Black. They had a highly successful partnership that year.

The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam tournament of the calendar year, typically held in January at Melbourne Park. It's followed by the French Open (May-June), Wimbledon (June-July), and U.S. Open (August-September).

Usain Bolt is the fastest man in history, holding the world record in the 100m sprint at 9.58 seconds (set in 2009). His top speed during that race was approximately 27.8 mph (44.72 km/h), making him the fastest recorded human runner.

Michael Schumacher held the record for most F1 World Championships with 7 titles (1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004). This record stood unchallenged for many years. Note that Lewis Hamilton has since equaled this record, but at the time this question was written (2011), Schumacher was the sole record holder.

Kimi Raikonnen won the 2007 Formula 1 World Championship in a dramatic final race, narrowly beating Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. This was Kimi's first and only World Championship title. He drove for Ferrari that season.

In 2011, the Mercedes GP team (officially Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team) fielded Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg as their driver lineup. Schumacher had returned to F1 after a 3-year retirement, while Rosberg was in his second season with the team. Note: 'Keke Rosberg' is Nico's father, a former champion.

Sebastian Vettel won the 2010 Formula 1 World Championship, becoming the youngest World Champion at that time (23 years old). He drove for Red Bull Racing and clinched the title in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi. This marked the beginning of Red Bull's dominance in F1.

Craig Kieswetter was born in South Africa and represented South Africa in the 2008 U-19 World Cup before qualifying to play for England. He was the Man of the Match in England's T20 World Cup final win in 2010, scoring 63 runs. Kevin Pietersen also moved from South Africa to England but didn't play in that final.

Novak Djokovic won his second Australian Open title in 2011, defeating Andy Murray in the final. This victory began his dominant period where he won three Grand Slams that year. Federer won in 2010, Nadal in 2009.

Brian Lara scored 501 not out for Warwickshire against Durham in 1994, which remains the highest individual score in first-class cricket history. This surpassed the previous record and has not been broken since. Don Bradman and other great batsmen scored high runs but none reached 500.

Sachin Tendulkar scored centuries on his debut in both Ranji Trophy (for Mumbai) and Duleep Trophy (for West Zone). This made him the youngest player to achieve this feat in Indian domestic cricket history.

Balaji Rao was a Canadian wicketkeeper-batsman of Indian origin who played for Haryana in the Ranji Trophy before emigrating to Canada. He represented Canada in international cricket including the 2011 World Cup.

Nolan Clarke from the Netherlands holds the record for being the oldest player to play in a World Cup match. He was 47 years and 257 days old when he played in the 1996 World Cup.

Roger Federer won the 2010 Australian Open, defeating Andy Murray in the final. This was Federer's 16th Grand Slam title and his 4th Australian Open championship.

Shane Warne broke the record of Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan when he became the highest wicket-taker in Test matches. Muralitharan had previously held the record before Warne surpassed him. Courtney Walsh, Kapil Dev, and Anil Kumble were all great bowlers but Warne broke Muralitharan's specific record.