Good chemistry helps Bhupathi-Knowles duo

London: Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles have assumed themselves as the next best thing in their group at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

"I think we have a good chemistry on the court and we both understand the game of doubles really well," Knowles said after the Indo-Bahamian pair won 6-3, 6-3 against Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak late on Sunday.

"I think we do everything well and we don't really have a weakness, and with our experience and the fact that we can pretty much play any shot in doubles it makes us solid," Knowles said.

"Our mindset going in is always solid and we usually have a good strategy going into the match. So if the other team come up with the goods, you have to shake their hand," Knowles said.

Quick off the blocks

Going into this year-ending finale on the Men's Tour, Bhupathi and Knowles have won one title and reached three finals while being runners-up at the Australian Open (lost to the Bryan twins) and the US Open (lost to Dlouhy and Paes).

But on Sunday night they were quick to get off the blocks though both tried to size each other up during the early moments of the match. In the eighth game the Indo-Bahamian pair got a break on Cermak's serve to steer clear 5-3 and then Knowles served out for the set 6-3.

In the second, Bhupathi and Knowles struck twice in quick succession breaking their opponents for a 4-1 cushion. But the Czech-Slovak pairing, that was played the most number of tournaments (30) while qualifying for this competition, bounced to break back.

Third break

However, Bhupathi and Knowles used their years of experience and did enough to notch a third break to win set and match 6-3 in an hour and ten minutes.

"If someone has to beat us then they have to really blow us off the court. We make a lot of balls, we make a lot of first serves, volleys and returns. Most of the time we win matches and that's the way it goes," Bhupathi added.

Ultimately it was their superior experience that saw them through easily. "I think experience does count in such a tournament. I think we've played 15-20 times in such tournaments and for these guys [Cermak-Mertinak] this is their first Masters. We knew if we came off the blocks firing, the occasion could get to them," he added.