Bhupathi - Likhovtseva beaten

Mahesh Bhupathi's hopes of a second French Open mixed doubles crown were dashed on Friday as he and Elena Likhovtseva of Russia failed to make it to the final of the event at the 2001 championships.

In Friday's semi-final, the Indian, who had won the title in 1998 partnering Japan's Rika Hiraki, and Likhovtseva put up a gallant fight but were beaten 5-7, 4-6, 2-6 by Paola Suarez of Argentina and Jaime Oncins Brazil.

In the final, Suarez and Oncins will meet Spain's Virginia Ruano-Pascual and Tomas Carbonell, who beat the pair of Janette Husarova of Slovakia and Petr Pala of the Czech Republic 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 5-1 in the other semi-final.