Former champions and Indian veterans Leander Paes [ Images ] and Mahesh Bhupathi [ Images ] blew away a strong start to make a shock exit from the men's doubles event of the Wimbledon [ Images ] championships after a second round 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (1), 4-6 loss to Arnaud Clement [ Images ] and Lukas Dlouhy [ Images ] in London [ Images ] on Saturday.

The third seed 'Indian Express' pair dominated the opening set but allowed their unseeded rivals to make a strong comeback.

The defeat means that Paes and Bhupathi will now try to win their first Grand Slam together after rejoining forces at US Open [ Images ], the last tennis major of the season.

The French-Czech pair broke the Indians twice -- third and ninth games -- in the second set to draw parity and then nosed ahead by winning the third set via tie-breaker.

The fourth set could not have started on a worse note for the Indians as they dropped serve in the very first game.

That mini lead was enough for Clement and Dlouhy, a former partner of Paes, and it provided further impetus to the momentum gained by them and they closed it out easily.

The defeat of Paes and Bhupathi leaves Somdev Devvarman [ Images ] the only Indian in the men's doubles draw. Somdev, along with Japanese Kei Nishikori, has already moved to the second round.

Rohan Bopanna [ Images ] and Pakistani partner Aisam-ul-haq Quershi have also crashed out of the championship.