Mahesh Bhupathi won the first title of the 2013 season when he combined with French man Michael Llodra to edge past Robert Lindstedt and Nenand Zimonjic in the summit clash of the Dubai Tennis Championshipsin Dubai.
Unseeded Bhupathi and Llodra downed the third seeded rivals 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6) in the fiercely fought final. It was Bhupathi's fifth title in Dubai.
He first won the Dubai title in 1998 with Leander Paes, then again in 2004 with Fabrice Santoro, in 2008 with Mark Knowles and last year with compatriot Rohan Bopanna.