imoen wrote:

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Hopefully Booty does play with Hutchins as a permanent partnership would be good to see him stay with the Brits. Either way I'll continue to follow his career and hope he does well.

As for Jamie, I expect he'll jump from partner to partner for a while, trying out top doubles and singles players. Much as I'd like to see it I'd be highly surprised if he played with Tim. Tim has never expressed an interest in doubles beyond useful match practise and I doubt he'll want to prolong his career by heading down that roadl. Also, Jamie wants a long, successful career in doubles so I'd be surprised if he chose to partner someone ranked that low in doubles and at the latter end of his career.

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Murray on the lookout for new partner after break-up

Katie Scott and Simon Cambers

Booty and Stretch are no longer. Jamie Murray and Eric Butorac announced their decision yesterday to end their short but sweet relationship after the US Open, which begins in 3½ weeks. It marks the end of a doubles partnership that lasted a little more than a year and won ATP titles in San Jose, Memphis and Nottingham. A statement, which was put up on their website by Butorac without the knowledge of Murray, read: "Booty and Stretch will be no more after the US Open. We will be heading our separate ways." Murray said last night: "I just think we werent really improving and I thought it was the time to move on. I just want to keep improving and moving up the rankings. Its not like we started falling out or anything, but a doubles partnership is, to an extent, like a relationship and you see each other every day and its tough. That can kind of limit the lifespan of a partnership."

A source close to the pair suggested that the problems began during a barren clay-court season, when a succession of four first-round defeats dented their confidence, but it was during Wimbledon, where they suffered a disappointing third-round exit, that the cracks started to appear. Butorac, who insisted that he was not jealous of the relationship that was blossoming between Murray and Jelena Jankovic, with whom the Scot won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon, was unimpressed by the manner of their exit from the mens doubles. Usually wearing the widest smile in the locker-room, the American slumped into his chair at the post-match press conference and barely uttered a word. His parents had travelled from Minnesota to spend the fortnight with their son, so, instead of spending time with Murray, who was staying with Jamie Delgado and enjoying evenings out with the former Davis Cup player, Booty and Stretch rarely spent time together during the fortnight. It did not help that they had a five-day hiatus between their second and third-round matches because of rain delays.

Butorac flew to Newport, Rhode Island, where he teamed up with Ross Hutchins, while Murray was left to introduce romance to the Centre Court crowd. The duo were reunited in Los Angeles, Indianapolis and at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington this week. They lost to Scott Lipsky and Daniel Martin, the American pairing, on all three occasions, and it had become clear that the spark had gone.

"True champions make these kinds of decisions when they are at the top of the game rather than the bottom," Patricio Apey, Murrays agent, said. "Theyve had some good, open discussions and decided it was best to go on without each other." Neither is believed to have decided upon their next partner and, unfortunately for the Great Britain Davis Cup team, Murray is unlikely to team up with a compatriot such as James Auckland, the British No 2 doubles player. "I think Ill be able to find someone for next year," Murray said. "Id like to find someone [soon], but if I have to chop and change for the rest of this year, thats what I will do. There are a few guys I have thought about, but I havent asked anyone and nothing has been done."

Apey suggested yesterday that the Scot would be targeting a top name. "It is in the Murray genes to always strive for the best," he said. "When Andy split with his coach, Mark Petchey, he put the worlds best coaches on the list of possible replacements and I see the same trait in Jamie. He has a lot of fire in his belly and he strives for the very best. Other players know they will have a great future if they link up with Jamie."

So what will happen to the Booty and Stretch brand? Will the shirts be ripped up and their website shut down? "It will be adapted. Booty and someone and Stretch and someone," Apey said.