Bhupathi, Bopanna split after finals defeat

Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna revealed they will play with different partners in 2013 after the Indian doubles team suffered a frustrating 7-5, 3-6, 10/3 defeat in the final of the ATP Tour Finals on Monday. Bhupathi and Bopanna were bidding to win the season-ending event for the first time, but they were beaten by Spanish sixth seeds Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez at London’s O2 Arena. It was the fifth time 38-year-old Bhupathi had lost in the final. But the duo, who won the Paris Masters earlier this month, won’t be able to have another run at the title next year after Bopanna confirmed they have decided to split. Bopanna, 32, will play with American Rajeev Ram, while Bhupathi is yet to reveal his new partner. Asked if they would continue playing together next season, Bopanna said: “No. We’re playing with different partners for the next season. “I’m playing with Rajeev Ram next year. He comes to the tournament in Chennai every year. Just maybe a few days before Chennai we’re going to start. “Tennis wise, we’ve had a great two weeks and can’t complain about that. “I’m happy to take all the positives from the tennis tour and now look forward to the new partnership coming up.” Bhupathi added: “Rohan is getting married in 10 days. Till then it’s only drinking and eating. I don’t know about our respective partners but I start [2013] in Chennai. There were times in the year where, you know, the pundits of Indian tennis threw us under the bus, said that we’re not good enough, said that these guys are jokers. “But we believed in ourselves. We’ve beaten all the top teams there are to beat. We came through with flying colours, which I think is credit to us at the end of the day.” From Gulfnews