Sending out a strong message that indiscipline will not be tolerated, the All India Tennis Association on Saturday dropped Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna from the Davis Cup team for the upcoming tie against New Zealand and blooded youngsters to prepare the side for the future.
Speaking exclusively with Bikash Mohapatra, Mahesh Bhupathi opens up on the many issues that plagued Indian tennis the last few months.
India's top singles player Somdev Devvarman's decision to concentrate on the ATP tour at the expense of the upcoming Asian Games has come under sharp criticism from the All India Tennis Federation.
The All India Tennis Association has convened an executive committee meeting in New Delhi on Thursday to find ways to douse the simmering controversy which rocked Indian tennis after top Davis Cuppers revolted against captain Leander Paes.
The duo emerged best in the under-18 category in the junior AITA Talent Series.
The payment row which prompted top tennis players to issue a Commonwealth Games boycott threat is expected to take another fortnight to resolve as the Sports Ministry on Monday sought more details of the expenses from the All India Tennis Association to release the money.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Tuesday said anyone who refuses to play for India will not be entitled for the financial support from the government.
The Indian tennis association is refusing to be held to ransom by regular Davis Cup players, who have hinted at a possible boycott if their demands for a greater involvement in the running of the team are not met.
Sania Mirza, who got a wild card entry for the Olympics, indicated she has no problem in partnering Leander Paes in the mixed doubles event in London but hit out at the AITA for using her as a "bait" in the selection row.
A furious Mahesh Bhupathi lashed out at the All India Tennis Association, calling his pairing with Leander Paes for the London Olympics the 'worst possible in the interest of the country'. Bhupathi was also furious that the AITA chose not to send two teams for the mega event, saying the decision has something 'more to it than meets the eye'.
Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna are likely to face the axe for insisting on playing as a team, as the All India Tennis Association selection committee, it seems, has decided to send just one combination for the men's doubles at the Olympics, with Leander Paes being the first choice.
AITA secretary Anil Khanna asked Mahesh Bhupathi to keep the country's interest in mind while making it clear that only 'the best' team, which has already been announced, will be sent to the Beiging Games.
The crisis that has rocked Indian tennis deepened on Monday, with Rohan Bopanna officially snubbing the All India Tennis Association's offer to pair with Leander Paes in the men's doubles at the London Olympics.
AITA names five-member Indian team for Davis Cup World Group 1 play-off away tie against Denmark
Former Wimbledon champion, Goran Ivanisevic, former Britain No 1, Tim Henman and Dan Bloxham, Head Coach at The All England Lawn tennis Club, Wimbledon, mentored a group of 25 budding tennis talents at a coaching camp in New Delhi on Thursday.
Davis Cup: Strong Indian team is firm favourite against Pakistan in historic clash
All India Tennis Association (AITA) will stick to the young Indian side and will not include Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna in the Davis Cup squad until the country moves up from the Asia/Oceania Group.
The Indian team had been relegated to the World Group II after losing 2-3 to Denmark in the World Group Play-Off earlier this year.
Rohan Bopanna revealed that he will bring curtains down on his Davis Cup career when the country hosts Morocco in September
Indian Davis Cup team capped its historic visit to Pakistan after 60 years by sealing its place in World Group I as it blanked Pakistan 4-0 with Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni recording a comfortable victory and Niki Poonacha making a winning debut, in Islamabad on Sunday.
A bomb disposal squad will sanitise the Islamabad Sports Complex every morning, and two escort vehicles will shadow the Indian Davis Cup team during its travel as part of multi-layer security arrangement, which is usually accorded to the Head of State, to ensure the visiting tennis players' safety and security.
It has sought the ITF's approval to field the US-born Indian.
The crisis in Indian tennis deepened on Friday, with the revolting players threatening to pull out of the upcoming Davis Cup tie against South Korea unless the AITA discusses their "legitimate" suggestions to improve the system.
The Indian youngsters were rewarded for their good form as they were named in India's Billie Jean King Cup squad.
'India's Davis Cup tie will now be played on September 14-15'
It's a historical tie, we will benefit from India team's visit: Pakistan tennis fraternity
Sumit Nagal has been dropped from the five-member Indian Davis Cup team for the World Group 1 play-off tie against Denmark in New Delhi next month.
'They should come to Pakistan. It's not fair that they do not come to Pakistan. The Indian team is much better than us. We have a beautiful hotel just across the stadium. If Indians come it will send a good message that we are good neighbours.'
The top-seeded Indian pair of Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni rallied from a set down to beat Christopher Rungkat and Akira Santillan and win the Bangkok Open title, their sixth together on the ATP Challenger Tour, in Nonthaburi, Thailand, Saturday.
India's hopes of winning a gold from the tennis courts is still alive with the mixed team reaching the title clash
The defeat will rankle the Indian pair all the more as Bopanna is a top-10 player in doubles while Bhambri too is ranked among the top-100. The Uzbekis are not even in the top-300.
N Sriram Balaji and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan of India, who were entered in the main draw as alternates, were defeated 6-3, 6-4 by Ilya Ivashka and Alexei Popyrin of Australia in the opening round.
The Indian Davis Cup team was relegated to the World Group II for the first time since the new format was launched in 2019 after losing the play-off tie 2-3 to Denmark.
The Davis Cup tie will be held either on September 16-17 or 17-18 while tennis event at the Asian Games are scheduled to be held from September 10-14.
AITA pairs him with Bopanna, withdraws Sharan
The Indian tennis team has written to All India Tennis Association (AITA) expressing reluctance to travel to Pakistan for their Davis Cup clash scheduled to be held next month.
Nagal's court coverage and solid defence in long drawn points was the highlight of his win.
Sumit Nagal fought fire with fire to bring India back in the Davis Cup World Group Play-off tie against Denmark, winning the second singles.
AITA said it had come up with an intermediate plan with the support of the country's government to reduce some of the pain for the lower-level professionals. India is currently in lockdown till May 3 and it was assumed that travel restrictions would be lifted in the next two months, the AITA said.
The All India Tennis Association says an unflattering perception is being created about it in the wake of Mahesh Bhupathi's removal as captain when it actually selected Rohit Rajpal because the ITF, till the last moment, had not given the impression that it would move the Davis Cup tie out of Islamabad.
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