Jamie Murray on Bruno Soares split: It felt like a good time to do something different

ATP Tour
Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares

The Jamie Murray-Bruno Soares doubles partnership ended on a low as they lost in the first round of the French Open with the former confirming it was his decision to change things up.

Soares confirmed to Brazilian media at the start of the week that the pair will go their separate ways after Roland Garros, but were looking to finish on a high.

However, it wasn’t to be as they were dumped out by Lorenzo Sonego and Matteo Berrettini with the Italians winning 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4).

After the match Murray revealed that he was the one who initiated the split.

“We had a lot of fun together. Maybe it was something I feeling for a little while,” he said. “It felt like now is the right time to change it up and do something different.

“Like I said, whether or not that will be the right decision, time will tell. I don’t think like I need to make it [public]. We have spoken but I don’t feel I should tell that to the world. I don’t think that is important.”

He added: “We are still a great team. I am sure both of us wanted to go out with a great result and finish on a high. Sadly it wasn’t the case. That’s life. It happens sometimes.”

The pair won the Australian and US Opens in 2016 and finished the year as the top-ranked doubles team.

Murray has confirmed that he will link up with fellow Brit Neal Skupski with the pair set to compete in the Netherlands next month while Soares will partner Mate Pavic from Croatia.

Skupski has been playing with his brother Ken up to now, but he knows it is too good an opportunity to turn down.

“Obviously I had to think about it because… if my brother wasn’t involved then it’s an easy yes, we spoke in depth with my brother, and decided that for me, I couldn’t turn it down,” Neal said.

“Jamie’s six in the world at the moment, obviously other opportunities that could come about, maybe Davis Cup, Olympics, I don’t know what he’s thinking, if he’s going to play with Andy [Murray], I don’t know, that’s next year.

“But 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 no 6 down, and a multiple Grand Slam winner.”

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