The All India Tennis Association may be backing Leander Paes to the hilt in him making the squad for the Rio Olympics, but the veteran star will not be picked in the Davis Cup team despite showing late interest in competing in the Asia/Oceania Group I tie against Korea Republic next month.
It was end of US Open campaign for Somdev Devvarman and Mahesh Bhupathi after they lost their respective hard-fought matches even as Rohan Bopanna had a mixed day.
India were handed a tough Davis Cup draw, being pitted against top seeds Czech Republic in the World Group Play-offs, to be held from September 18-20 either in New Delhi or Pune.
Zeeshan Ali said Indian players are expected to do well in the World Group Play-off tie
Rohan Bopanna and his new German partner Andre Begemann knocked out the top seeded pair of Alexendra Peya and Bruno Soares to storm into the quarter-finals of the ATP 500 Citi Open in Washington.
Rohan Bopanna's stupendous run at Wimbledon earned him a career-best No 5 ranking in the ATP doubles chart and made him the top-ranked Indian in the game.
In Paes's absence, seasoned Rohan Bopanna and Saketh Myneni will do the doubles duty in the July 17-19 tie, to be held in Christchurch.
Taking exception to top Indian tennis players' reluctance to compete in the recent Asian Games, the Sports Ministry on Wednesday said individual players will be able to avail government grants only if they undertake to be available for India whenever called upon.
Enrico Piperno, who was also India's Fed Cup coach says, lack of funding, support and infrastructure will cease creation of a top-50 player
Veteran Indian tennis star Leander Paes today said that the dramatic victory he pulled off along with partner Rohan Bopanna against formidable Serbians was the best comeback effort of his Davis Cup career.
Somdev Devvarman reached the singles semi-final of the Delhi Open after Ze Zhang retired mid-way due to a shoulder injury even as Ankita Raina waged a brave fight before bowing out of the women's ITF event on Friday.
Caught in a dilemma over competing in the Asian Games or the WTA tournaments which clash with the event, Sania Mirza on Sunday, decided to let the All India Tennis Association take a call on her participation in the continental extravaganza in Incheon, Korea.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday
It would have been great for Indian tennis had Novak Djokovic decided to turn up in this week's Davis Cup tie in Bangalore, country's leading singles star Somdev Devvarman said.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
The Indian selectors reposed faith in Leander Paes as the 40-year-old veteran was on Saturday included in the Asian Games squad along with established stars Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna.
World No 10 Rohan Bopanna and Saketh Myneni suffered a shock straight set mauling at the hands of Artem Sitak and Marcus Daniell as India were left trailing 1-2 against New Zealand.
India's top tennis players Mahesh Bhupathi, Saketh Myneni, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Sriram Balaji have been granted wild card entries into the doubles draw of Chennai Open, the organisers announced on Monday.
'I do understand Rohan is disappointed for not getting the award, but it was because he did not meet the criteria for the award in 2016. He should see the criteria before making any comment'
Somdev Devvarman sailed into the quarter-finals of the $100,000 ATP Delhi Open after notching up an easy 6-2, 6-2 win over an erratic Di Wu from China in New Delhi.
Indian wild card entrant Jeevan Nedunchezhian crashed out of the Chennai Open after a bright start soon after Ramkumar Ramanathan stormed into the singles main draw with a superb win over higher-ranked Slovakian Norbert Gombos in Chennai.
In a significant development, Sania Mirza has agreed to play in the upcoming Asian Games, two days after All India Tennis Association announced that they would allow top players to miss the Incheon event, keeping in mind their requirements on the professional circuit.
Somdev Devvarman took just eight minutes to complete the unfinished business as he beat Ti Chen 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-2, 9-7 in the second singles to put India 2-0 ahead in the Asia/Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie in Indore on Saturday.
Former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic has said India can't forever sit on the laurels of greats like Leander Paes and it must have a top-10 singles player for tennis to thrive in the country.
Surprised by the sacking of his elder brother as India's Davis Cup skipper, the legendary Vijay Amritraj says Anand Amritraj is the country's best captain in the last three decades and it is quite against the trend to remove a winning leader.
India's ace tennis player Leander Paes said that he was yet again ready to take the responsibility of playing a crucial role in the Davis Cup World playoff tie against Serbia which begins on Friday.
Veteran star Leander Paes is set to combine with Rohan Bopanna for the doubles rubber during the Davis Cup tie against Serbia, Indian captain Anand Amritraj confirmed today but he says nothing has been decided on the Asian Games squad as yet.
Mumbai Tennis Masters overcame Punjab Marshalls 29-20 in the inconsequential final North Zone round robin match of the Champions Tennis League at the Kalina University Sports Complex on Monday.
Somdev Devvarman would be India's while Yuki Bhambri is expected to carry his good from into the new season which is full of new challenges for the Indian players as ATP Aircel Chennai Open begins on Monday.
Ramkumar Ramanathan's good run at the Chennai Open continued as he combined with compatriot N Sriram Balaji to knock out fourth seeded Kiwi pair of Artem Sitak and Marcus Daniel on Wednesday and storm into the doubles quarter-finals.
'In my eight ties as captain we won five and lost three to Serbia, Czech Republic and Spain who were all better teams than us. We should have won against Czech but lost 3-2. Having said that they were top 10 teams and I am not too unhappy losing to them'
Filip Krajinovic beat Yuki Bhambri 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to give Serbia a 3-2 win in their deciding singles tie of the Davis Cup in Bangalore on Monday.
Their commitment to country questioned after the pull-out from the Asian Games, India's top tennis players on Wednesday tried to put their decision in perspective by saying that they have an obligation to earn their "bread and butter".
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Sunday
Fresh from winning the Chennai leg, Yuki Bhambri advanced to the second round, even as the other two Indians Saketh Myneni and Vishnu Vardhan made quiet exits in the $50,000 ATP Challenger at BTA Courts in Kolkata.
Ramkumar Ramanathan paid the price of not containing his unforced errors as he made a first round exit from the ATP Chennai Open while his compatriot and qualifier Vijay Sundar Prashanth also bowed out after a crushing defeat, on Tuesday.
Team India lauds Yuki Bhambri, hero of match against New Zealand.
Young Yuki Bhambri brought India back in the Davis Cup match against New Zealand after Somdev Devvarman was beaten in the opening singles.
On a high after winning the WTA Finals doubles crown and a clutch of prestigious titles this year, Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza says she is now bracing up for the International Premier Tennis League where she would play in the same team as World No 2 Switzerland's Roger Federer.
A profligate Yuki Bhambri missed chances galore in a tame defeat against world number 40 Jiri Vesley as India lost the Davis Cup World Group Play-off tie against top seeds Czech Republic 1-3.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances