Paes-Bhupathi crash out

French Open doubles champions Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi crashed out of the Wimbledon Championships in the first round, losing in straight sets to David Adams of South Africa and Michael Llodra of France 1-6, 3-6, 3-6.

The sixth seeded Indian pair, Wimbledon champions in 1999, were totally outplayed by their unseeded opponents in a little over an hour on Court No. 8.

The South African-French pair surpised the goodly crowd that turned up after a rain delay by running away with the first set in a little under 15 minutes. Two breaks, in the fourth and sixth games, sufficed for them to take the set.

Paes and Bhupathi were all at sea though they did manage a break-point in the seventh game before the Adams and Llodra pulled up their socks, served out the game and took the set at 6-1.

The second set too went the same way, with the ace Indian pair unable to come to terms with the big serves and power play of their opponents.

After both teams served out the opening games, Adams and Llodra effected the first break of the set in the third game on their first break point and then, after failing on another break attempt in the seventh game when they had a break-point, got a second break in the ninth to take the set at 6-3.

A two-set deficit was too much for the Indians to come back from. They had a chance to break in the fifth game of the third set, when they had two breaks-points but failed to capitalise on them. Adams and Llodra immediately broke them in the sixth game at 15 and then proceeded to hold serve and take the set at 6-3 to score a remarkable victory.

On Thursday, Paes crashed out of the men's singles, losing to 24th seed Nicolas Escude of France 3-6, 4-6, 2-6 in a second round match.