Monte Carlo, Apr 28: An injured Mahesh Bhupathi and his partner Mark Knowles of Bahamas proved no match for Rafael Nadal and Tommy Robredo, who sailed past the fourth seeds in straight sets to lift the Monte carlo Masters` doubles title here.

Bhupathi, whose movement was severely restricted by a right groin injury, and Knowles went down 3-6, 3-6 to the Spanish pair at the clay court event.

Nadal, who beat Roger Federer to lift the singles title, thus became just the second player in ATP Masters Series history to win both events.

In an intriguing battle between the Spaniards` forehand and the experienced doubles specialists, Bhupathi and Knowles, power won the day rather easily.

And when Bhupathi received treatment at 3-3 in the second set for a right groin injury, the job became all the more easier for Nadal and Robredo.

Bhupathi and Knowles, who were contesting their fourth final in their past five tournaments, would have risen to the top in the Stanford ATP doubles race had they won their third title of the year.

Instead they now sit just two points behind race leaders Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram, the Israeli pair which won the Australian Open earlier this year.

Nadal joins Jim Courier (1991 Indian Wells) as the only player to win both titles in an ATP Masters series tournament.

Nadal is the first player to win singles and doubles titles in the same tournament this year. (There were four last year.)

Bhupathi, Paes rise in ATP rankings

New Delhi: The runner-up finish at the Monte Carlo Masters has helped Mahesh Bhupathi gain a couple of spots to 11th in the latest ATP doubles` rankings issued today. Bhupathi, who injured his right groin during the finals last night, now has 3325 points in the list. Bhupathi`s former partner and Indian Davis Cup captain Leander Peas also rose a couple of notches to be 22 this week with 1920 points. Paes and his Australian partner Paul Hanley lost in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters. Meanwhile, in the WTA rankings, the out-of-action Sania Mirza remained static at 32 in the singles` charts and also held on to her previous week`s 19th spot in the doubles list.

Sania is currently recuperating from a wrist injury that needed a surgery in the US earlier this month. The Hyderabadi ace is targetting a comeback to the courts in the French Open next month.