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Sun, 07 Oct 2012 18:15:00 GMT | By IANS

Leander Paes-Radek Stepanek lose in Japan Open final

Tokyo: India's Leander Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek lost to Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares in the men's doubles final of Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships here Sunday.


Leander Paes-Radek Stepanek lose in Japan Open final (© AFP)

For Peya and Soares it was the second ATP World Tour doubles title in as many weeks. The fourth seeds added the silverware to their Malaysian Open trophy with a 6-3, 7-6(5) win over top seeds Paes and Stepanek in an hour and 46 minutes.

Peya and Soares split the $91.030 in prize money and 500 ATP Doubles Rankings points, while Paes and Stepanek share $41,100 and earn 300 points.

Peya improved to 4-8 lifetime in ATP World Tour finals, while Soares is now 8-9 in titles matches. Paes, 39, dropped to 50-36 and Stepanek to 15-12.

Despite the loss, Paes and Stepanek clinched their first team berth at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London next week, after they booked a place in the Tokyo final.

Paes, 39, has qualified for the 13th time. He is a four-time former runner-up in 1997, 1999, 2000 (all w/Bhupathi) and 2005 (w/Zimonjic). The 33-year-old Stepanek will be making his debut.

This year, Paes and Stepanek won the Australian Open title, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Miami (d. Mirnyi-Nestor) and were runners up at the US Open.

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