Artem Sitak changes partner for 2019 as he targets Nitto ATP Finals debut
New Zealand's Artem Sitak will enter the 2019 season with a different partner as he and Indian Divij Sharan have made a mutual decision to split.
Sitak, 32, announced that his new partner will be 28-year-old American Austin Krajicek.
Sitak and Sharan debuted as a pair in the opening week of the grass season in 's-Hertogenbosch -- where they made the semi-final.
A couple of weeks later, Sitak and Sharan made the Wimbledon quarter-final before they lost to eventual champions Mike Bryan and Jack Sock.
Sitak and Sharan also made the semi-finals in Antwerp and Basel during the indoors season.
"We decided that we'll play with other people, we weren't getting the results against the top five teams and to get to The O2 (Arena)," Sitak told Stuff.co.nz.
"We've got to beat those guys and both of us want to do that.
"So we decided we'll split and in the last week (of his season), in Paris, I asked Austin and he said yes, so that's great."
Sitak, who started the 2018 season ranked at No. 55 in the world, is now ranked at No. 34.
The 32-year-old achieved his career-high doubles ranking of No. 32 in the world this past September.
Sitak said of Krajicek that he is a "great player" and that he has "always wanted to play with him."
It remains to be seen will Sitak fulfill his goal of debuting at the Nitto ATP Finals next year.
Also read: Coming back after a tough period is a challenge, admits Rafael Nadal
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2LBykip
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