A number of top doubles players will switch partners next year, the ATP announced.
As expected, India’s Rohan Bopanna will partner Mahesh Bhupathi in 2012, ending Bopanna’s partnerships with Pakistan’s Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, which was nicknamed the "Indo-Pak Express." Bopanna and Qureshi reached the ATP World Tour Finals for the first time together but did not win a match. Bopanna and Bhupathi partly made the switch to qualify for the 2012 Olympics together. Bhupathi ended his partnership with another Indian, Leander Paes. After reuniting at the start of the season, the two had some good results, but they began to fall off during the summer. They had won Grand Slam titles together in the first phase of their partnership, but then split.
Qureshi will partner Jean-Julien Rojer of the Netherlands Antilles, who split with American Eric Butorac after a good season. Butorac will play with Brazil's Bruno Soras, somewhat of surprise as No. 20 Butorac might have had a shot of qualifying for the 2012 Olympics with a U.S. partner. The same goes for Soares, who played with fellow Brazilian Marcelo Melo this year and had reasonable success.