Paes & Stepanek Win Shanghai Grudge Match

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Paes & Stepanek Win Shanghai Grudge Match

By Chris Oddo

Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek win the 2012 Shanghai Rolex Masters Doubles title

(October 14, 2012) -- Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek defeated Rohan Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi in a heavily anticipated grudge match between Paes and the two players that refused to pair with the 39-year-old for this year’s Olympic Games in London.

The decision ended up resulting in bad blood with the All India Tennis Association, as Bopanna and Bhupathi have both been banned from representing India until the end of June, 2014.

Today Paes exacted a measure of personal revenge, as he and Stepanek defeated the seventh-seeded pair 6-7(7), 6-3, 10-5 in Sunday’s Shanghai Rolex Masters doubles final.

The Indian-Czech pairing captured their third title of the season, which includes the Australian Open title they won on their debut this winter. “Today was a bit more of a personal match for us three Indians,” said Paes afterwards. “Radek came in and he made it fun for me.”

Paes now has 51 ATP doubles titles to his name. The 33-year-old Stepanek notched his 16th doubles title with the victory.

Paes and Stepanek have already qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals, while Bopanna and Bhupathi entered the week in the eighth and final spot.

(Photo Credit: AP)