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No 1 team falls in finals

Ap
Monday 22 November 1999 00:00 GMT
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Alex O'Brien and Sebastien Lareau defeated No 1-ranked Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to win the Phoenix ATP Tour World Doubles Championship in Hartford, Connecticut on Sunday.

Alex O'Brien and Sebastien Lareau defeated No 1-ranked Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to win the Phoenix ATP Tour World Doubles Championship in Hartford, Connecticut on Sunday.

In a rematch of the US Open final, the American O'Brien and Canadian Lareau once again beat the Indian duo.

O'Brien and Lareau converted six of eight break points in the match. They also had only one double fault in the entire match.

"We were on fire," O'Brien said. "It was one of those days where everything worked out."

O'Brien, aged 29, and Lareau, aged 26, finish the year as the No. 2-ranked team in the world. They won four of five finals in 1999 and are 8-7 in career finals.

O'Brien and Lareau split $170,000 for their performance in the World Doubles in addition to receiving an $80,000 bonus for finishing in the No 2 spot.

The pair will play with new partners next year, with O'Brien teaming up with American Jared Palmer and Lareau playing with Canadian Daniel Nestor.

Bhupathi, aged 25, and Paes, aged 26, finished the year with a 3-3 record in finals. They became the first team ever to make the finals in all four Grand Slam events, winning Wimbledon and the French Open. They were 22-2 in Grand Slam matches in 1999 and are 15-6 in career finals.

Bhupathi and Paes split $90,000 for their performance in the World Doubles in addition to receiving a $100,000 bonus for finishing No 1.

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