Paes-Bhupathi seize Masters Crown

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">MUMBAI: Electric guitar and drums are back in the soundtrack of Indian sport with the rocking victory of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in the Toronto Masters on Sunday.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">The No 8 seeds beat second seeded Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) and Max Mirnyi (Belarus) 6-4 6-2 in the final for their 23rd title and a cheque for $1,02,000.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">"The chest-butts are back, the high-fives are back, the chemistry of ''99 is back," Bhupathi told ToI from Toronto on Sunday night local time.The duo were the world''s premier combo in 1999 with triumphs at Wimbledon and the French Open.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">"The Lord has some strange ways," said Paes. Asked the frequency of their chest-butts, he said: "Non-stop."</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Surprise was natural as Toronto was the pair''s first tournament in over two years and featured quality teams. India''s Olympic medal contenders beat Martin Rodriquez-Gaston Etlis in the second round, Pavel Vizner-Jared Palmer next, fourth seeds Mark Knowles-Daniel Nestor in the semis before taking care of the accomplished Bjorkman and Mirnyi in the final.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">"We played three of the top-10 teams," said Paes. "The first match itself was tough. Rodriquez-Etlis had beaten me and David Rikl as well Mahesh and Max in the past. Against Palmer-Vizner we were down by a set and a break. Where the final goes, the psychology of the match was important. Today''s was a mental victory."</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">Next page: </span><a href="/articleshow/msid-799926,curpg-2.cms" style="" font-face:arialfont-size:10ptfont-weight:boldcolor:0066cc="">How they won it?</a><br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Bhupathi said, "It was high-quality tennis in the final. Speaking of the Olympics, we need to stay healthy and not change much of what we are doing on court." The 30-year-old added that it wasn''t easy playing against Mirnyi, his regular partner. "We know each other''s game like the back of our hands," he said. The two will team up again for the US Open.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Mirnyi, though, stunned everyone cold during the presentation ceremony. "Congratulations to the dark boys over there," he said. Paes responded to the remark when it was his turn on the microphone, saying, "Max, this is North America. I can probably sue you for discrimination."</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Paes-Bhupathi got off to a faltering start in the final, losing serve in the second game. But they broke in the third </span><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">and seventh to take the first set. In the second, the pair broke in the first game, then again in the seventh.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Paes said that the pair had at last received vigorous match practice. Asked if all aspects of their game were tested in Toronto, he replied: "Yes. Take the final, for instance. Max has a fine serve while Jonas has a great service return."</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Paes'' own return was working during the week. "We were down by a few breaks along the way so we had to return well," he said, adding that some improvement was needed in their on-court coordination.</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-family:="" arial="" font-size:="">Asked how his left eye, which had been struck by a shot from Daniel Nestor in the semifinal, was, Paes said: "I had some bad headache, but it''s not serious."</span></div> </div>