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Tennis Bytes:Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi triumph in Chennai and other stories

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Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes have done it again.

The Indian Express triumphed at the 2011 Aircel Chennai Open subduing the Dutch-American pair of Robin Hasse and David Martin 6-2, 6-7 (3), 10-7.

The Chennai tourney has Indian champions once more. This is the first time since 2002 that an Indian pair have inscribed their names on the trophy. It was the duo of Bhupathi and Paes who claimed it then as well.

Somdev Devvarman came close in 2009, losing to Marin Cilic in the final.

It was fitting that the duo came together in the sweltering environs of the South Indian city that boasts the best-known tennis families in India—the Krishnans and the Amritrajs, to clinch their first title this year.

Sceptics felt  that the two would find it difficult to reprise their form of the late 90s and early oo’s, given their aging bodies and slower reflexes.

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