Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles- Getty Images

A New Partnership in Full Bloom

May 26, 2008

Mark Knowles knows exactly what it takes to win a Grand Slam championship. The Bahamian native specifically knows how great a challenge it is to win the French Open, having finally captured the title for the first time in 2007. Mahesh Bhupathi (India) also knows how to win Grand Slams as he has nailed down four of them in his career, two of which came at Roland Garros. The obstacle now is for the pair to figure out what needs to be done to win a Grand Slam crown together.

The duo only recently joined forces at the beginning of 2008 after Knowles parted ways with long-time partner Daniel Nestor (Toronto). Bhupathi had spent extended periods of time playing with fellow countryman Leander Paes, as well as Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) and Max Mirnyi (Belarus). Since then, the pair has reached the final of two Master Series events, in Miami and Monte-Carlo, as well as the semifinals of the Australian Open.

In Australia, they fell to eventual champions Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram of Israel while in Miami they were defeated by the top-seeded Bryan brothers. Their Monte-Carlo loss came against the unflappable Spaniard Rafael Nadal. So, while they have come heartbreakingly close to tasting glory they also know that they have come up short against very worthy opponents.

They are hoping to bring home that elusive major title at the French Open where they both have a lot at stake. Knowles is entering Roland Garros as the defending champ while Bhupathi was a semifinalist in 2007 before being ousted by Knowles and Nestor. Therefore, they both have a significant amount of points to lose if they don’t make it deep into the second week of play. On the other hand, Knowles has never won a Grand Slam with anyone other than Nestor and Bhupathi last boasted a major title in 2002 at the US Open with Mirnyi, so they definitely have their work cut out for them.

As the fourth seeds, they have been blessed with a very fortunate draw. Their first real test would not come until a potential quarter-final match-up against No. 5 seeds Simon Aspelin (Sweden) and Julian Knowle (Austria), who they have already defeated twice this season. However, the real drama would ensue in the semifinal where, if everything goes to plan, Knowles and Bhupathi would be up against Nestor and his new partner Nenad Zimonjic (Serbia). Though they have come close this year, the former pair has yet to face-off since they teamed up with their new counterparts and it would be fitting to finally see that showdown at a tournament where they are both the reigning champions.

Though Bhupathi and Knowles are still missing that major championship together, they have won titles at both Memphis and Dubai this year. All of this success has shot Bhupathi up the rankings from No. 21 at the beginning of the year to No. 9 as of May 26. Knowles currently sits at No. 4 but has flip-flopped with Nestor to No. 3 at different points in the season. The pair is also third in the Stanford ATP Doubles Race, only two points back of Erlich and Ram. If they can build on the strong foundation that they have established by winning the French Open they will officially solidify their presence as a new dominant team on Tour.