Granollers/Lopez prevail over Bhupathi/Bopanna to grab title – Barclays ATP World Tour Finals 2012
Sixth seeds, Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez, clinched their maiden season ending championships, dismissing the Indian duo of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. This was the fourth straight
year that the season finale was held at the indoor hard courts of the O2 Arena in London.
The Spanish tandem captured a close opener but then went down easily in the second one, before regrouping in the match tie-breaker to win 7-5, 3-6, 10-3 in one hour and 30 minutes.
Granollers and Lopez hit a blow to the Indians in the third game to gain a 2-1 lead but it was short lived, as Bhupathi and Bopanna broke back in the next one to level it at 2-2. The following six games were held by respective
teams to take the score to 5-5. Granollers and Lopez struck again in the 11th and this time they made the most of it to win 7-5.
Second set went smoothly in the first three games, as neither one of the two teams made a breakthrough, equalising the score at 3-3. Though, it was all Bhupathi/Bopanna show after that, as they grabbed three consecutively to seal
it 6-3.
Granollers and Lopez mixed attack and defence gave them a 4-0 lead at the start of match tie-breaker and they stretched it to 6-1 three points later. The Spanish tandem capitalised on that advantage and sealed it 10-3.
These two have won the biggest title of their career so far, coming together as a team just in this February.
Granollers said during the post match press conference, “We finished here winning the title, so it's incredible for us. We try to play as best as we can always. I think we have very good relationship. So, I think, that's one of
the key of our success.”
He congratulated the runner up team and thanked his partner and ATP, "I'd like to congratulate Mahesh and Rohan for their year. They played a great tournament. Good luck next season. Marc is one of my best friends. To win here
with him is very special. Thanks to the ATP for a great tournament and to Barclays for supporting our sport."
Bhupathi praised Granollers and Lopez by saying, “It’s always tough playing them. They're not a conventional doubles team.”
Granollers and Lopez are just the second Spanish team in tennis history to have captured the season ending championships.
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