Jamie Murray splits with doubles partner Bruno Soares following French Open exit

RUTHLESS Jamie Murray axed doubles partner Bruno Soares and then admitted: It’s a gamble.

Together the pair won two Grand Slam doubles crowns and attained world No1 status in 2016.

Their glorious relationship ended in a 6-4 7-5 7-6 defeat to Italians Matteo Berrettini and Lorenzo Sonego in the French Open first round.

Murray, 33, told Brazilian Soares before travelling to Paris he wanted to end their three-and-a-half-year partnership.

He said: “It’s a risky decision for me. But in the end, I felt like I wanted to make it and see what happens.

“We had a lot of fun together but it was just like a time for something different, and that’s life.

“It felt like now is the right time to change it up and do something different. Whether or not that will be the right decision, time will tell. There are no guarantees of anything.

“Obviously it wasn’t an easy conversation to have, but it just had to be done. We talked, and that’s that.

“We are still a great team. There is no disputing that. We both wanted to go out with a great result and finish on a high. Sadly it wasn’t the case.”

TIME FOR CHANGE

Soares, 37, who will now partner Croatian Mate Pavic, said: “We’re good friends, it’s our job. The best for him is to change, with a different partner, and you’ve got to respect that. If he feels that way, then it’s fine.”

Murray will now hook up with Brit Neal Skupski, 29, and hope they have enough time to get going before Queen’s next month and then Wimbledon.

Murray added: “We’ll play until the end of the year and see how that goes. Obviously it’s not a decision I take lightly. We played a long time.

“My partner before that was John Peers, and that was three years. It’s not like a quick fix, or anything like that. We’ll see how it goes.”

Skupski is leaving his older brother Ken for the more celebrated playing star.

The Liverpool player’s playing style will suit Murray’s and he said: “Jamie got in touch with me during Rome and asked if I wanted to play.

“It was obviously a big decision but we’re going to go forward with that. It’s tough leaving your brother. But I couldn’t turn this down.

“There are a lot of opportunities, playing with Jamie will help me progress up the rankings, I’ve had my best year so far this year, so it’s come at an unfortunate time, but at the end of the day, it’s a business, it’s tough to turn the world No6 down, and a multiple Grand Slam winner.

“I spoke to Ken and Ken was all for it. He said it wasn’t something you can’t turn down, life-changing hopefully.”

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