Bhupathi-Vesnina finish runner-up

July 03, 2011 11:24 pm | Updated 11:24 pm IST - London:

Mahesh Bhupathi and Elena Vesnina congratulate Jurgen Melzer and Iveta Benesova on their mixed doubles victory at  Wimbledon on Sunday.

Mahesh Bhupathi and Elena Vesnina congratulate Jurgen Melzer and Iveta Benesova on their mixed doubles victory at Wimbledon on Sunday.

India's Mahesh Bhupathi failed to notch up his third Wimbledon mixed doubles title as he and his partner Elena Vesnina were outplayed by Jurgen Melzer and Iveta Benesova in straight sets in the final here on Sunday.

The fourth seeded Indo-Russian pair lost 6-3, 6-2 to its ninth seeded opponent in a 51-minute summit clash on the centre court.

Austrian Melzer and the Czech Republic's Benesova, who have not lost a single set on their way to the title, were the dominant pair for most part of the final match with better serve and returns.

Bhupathi and Vesnina found their opponents' serve too hot to handle most of the time as the Austrian-Czech duo had as many as seven aces to the Indo-Russian duo's two.

Bhupathi and Vesnina were broken in the fourth game as Melzer and Benesova raced to a 4-1 lead before winning the first set 6-3 in 24 minutes.

In the second set, Bhupathi and Vesnina were broken in the third and seventh games to lose it in 27 minutes.

With this loss, Bhupathi has failed to equal Leander Paes' 12 Grand Slam titles as he remains on 11 Major crowns — seven in mixed doubles and four in men's doubles.

Bhuapthi has not won a Grand Slam title since clinching the 2009 Australian Open mixed doubles trophy along with compatriot Sania Mirza. All of Bhuapthi's mixed doubles titles have come with different partners.

Paes has won six men's doubles and as many mixed doubles titles.

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