India's tennis selectors will decide the fate of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna, who came together with an eye on the London Olympics, when they meet in Bangalore on Friday to pick the country’s men’s doubles pairing for the mega event.
Bhupathi and Bopanna, who were ranked 14th and 12th in the ATP doubles rankings at the June 11 cut- off date, have already made their preferences clear and have written to AITA that they are available for selection only as a "pair", and not as "individual players". That leaves Leander Paes, who is No. 7 in the world rankings, to partner either Somdev Devvarman or any of the up- and- coming youngsters. As two doubles teams from India can participate in the London Olympics, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) should be looking to choose the two best combinations.
"It is going to be a very difficult task. We have to send our best team. So much is being written in the media. Ultimately, it is the AITA which has to take a decision and send the entries," former Davis Cupper and one of the selectors, SP Misra, told Mail Today. Interestingly, at the Beijing Olympics, it was Bhupathi who was country's top doubles player, but his opinion was not sought and he was asked to partner Paes. They eventually lost to Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarter- finals.
Bhupathi and Paes have played together in four Olympics, but without much success.
Bhupathi and Bopanna announced in December that they would be pairing up in the new season with an eye on the Olympics. Scott Davidoff, one of the coaches who has worked with the Indian players, throws some light on how Bhupathi and Bopanna came together. "When Leander had talked to Mahesh about the upcoming 2012 season, he had mentioned that they should split apart, but that he still wanted to play with Mahesh on the grasscourt season, including Wimbledon, and to compete at the Olympics together. To Rohan’s surprise, Leander had told him that they would play the season together to prepare them for the Olympics as well," Davidoff wrote to the AITA in a letter, a copy of which is with Mail Today "When Rohan had found out about the situation, and Mahesh asked Rohan to play, they decided to pair up themselves for the Olympics."
Bopanna had to part ways with Pakistan’s Aisam- ul- haq Qureshi, with whom he reached a Grand Slam final at the 2010 US Open. The two Indians played in the Chennai Open in January and won the Dubai Open in March. AITA secretary general Anil Khanna had then told them it is good that they have come together for the London Olympics as in this way, India will have an opportunity to field two teams in men’s doubles. He may, now, be regretting his words.
It has been learnt that the AITA general secretary has spoken to the players in Paris during the French Open. He will give his inputs to the selectors on Friday.
The country does stand a good chance in the mixed doubles as Bhupathi and Sania Mirza have proved themselves by winning their second Grand Slam together in Paris. Sania, though, needs to get a wild card to compete in the Olympics as she has failed to make the direct cut. "All these things have to be considered in the selection meeting. We have to go through the inputs given by AITA on whether Sania will get a wild card," said Misra
Bhupathi and Bopanna, who were ranked 14th and 12th in the ATP doubles rankings at the June 11 cut- off date, have already made their preferences clear and have written to AITA that they are available for selection only as a "pair", and not as "individual players". That leaves Leander Paes, who is No. 7 in the world rankings, to partner either Somdev Devvarman or any of the up- and- coming youngsters. As two doubles teams from India can participate in the London Olympics, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) should be looking to choose the two best combinations.
"It is going to be a very difficult task. We have to send our best team. So much is being written in the media. Ultimately, it is the AITA which has to take a decision and send the entries," former Davis Cupper and one of the selectors, SP Misra, told Mail Today. Interestingly, at the Beijing Olympics, it was Bhupathi who was country's top doubles player, but his opinion was not sought and he was asked to partner Paes. They eventually lost to Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka in the quarter- finals.
Bhupathi and Paes have played together in four Olympics, but without much success.
Bhupathi and Bopanna announced in December that they would be pairing up in the new season with an eye on the Olympics. Scott Davidoff, one of the coaches who has worked with the Indian players, throws some light on how Bhupathi and Bopanna came together. "When Leander had talked to Mahesh about the upcoming 2012 season, he had mentioned that they should split apart, but that he still wanted to play with Mahesh on the grasscourt season, including Wimbledon, and to compete at the Olympics together. To Rohan’s surprise, Leander had told him that they would play the season together to prepare them for the Olympics as well," Davidoff wrote to the AITA in a letter, a copy of which is with Mail Today "When Rohan had found out about the situation, and Mahesh asked Rohan to play, they decided to pair up themselves for the Olympics."
Bopanna had to part ways with Pakistan’s Aisam- ul- haq Qureshi, with whom he reached a Grand Slam final at the 2010 US Open. The two Indians played in the Chennai Open in January and won the Dubai Open in March. AITA secretary general Anil Khanna had then told them it is good that they have come together for the London Olympics as in this way, India will have an opportunity to field two teams in men’s doubles. He may, now, be regretting his words.
It has been learnt that the AITA general secretary has spoken to the players in Paris during the French Open. He will give his inputs to the selectors on Friday.
The country does stand a good chance in the mixed doubles as Bhupathi and Sania Mirza have proved themselves by winning their second Grand Slam together in Paris. Sania, though, needs to get a wild card to compete in the Olympics as she has failed to make the direct cut. "All these things have to be considered in the selection meeting. We have to go through the inputs given by AITA on whether Sania will get a wild card," said Misra
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