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".
Passion in my game was dying, so hung racquet, says Somdev Devvarman.
A 'hurt' Zeeshan Ali said that his credentials as coach were never in doubt and promised to give his best in the upcoming Davis Cup tie against South Korea despite having an inexperienced side at his disposal.
India will field a depleted team for the Davis Cup tie against South Korea. With the revolting players sticking to their stand, the AITA on Friday named Leander Paes, V M Ranjit, Vijaykant Malik and Purav Raja for next month's home match.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly feels that Mahesh Bhupathi should have agreed to play Leander Paes in the Olympics as the latter is a terrific doubles player.
Somdev Devvarman, who is demanding better playing conditions in Davis Cup from AITA, started his Australian Open campaign in style as he cruised past Germany's Bjorn Phau in the opening round of the men's singles event in Melbourne on Monday.
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Friday appealed to the bickering Indian tennis players to shed "individual egos" and instead play to bring laurels for the country in London Olympics.
Sania Mirza will lead the four-member Indian side in the upcoming Asia/Oceania Group I tie of the Fed Cup tennis tournament.
Beset by injuries to singles players and 'mistrust' between the Rio-bound doubles players, India would expect young Ramkumar Ramanathan and Saketh Myneni to rise to the occasion when they face Korea in the Asia/Oceania Group I Davis Cup tie, starting, in Chandigarh, on Friday.
Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna, who took on the All India Tennis Association to compete as a team at the London Olympics, have been seeded seventh in the men's doubles. The pair is placed a rung above the Serbian combination of singles' world No 2 Novak Djokovic and Viktor Troicki.
Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna, who took on the All India Tennis Association to compete as a team at the London Olympics, have been seeded seventh in the men's doubles. The pair is placed a rung above the Serbian combination of singles' world No 2 Novak Djokovic and Viktor Troicki.
India and New Zealand will face off in a Davis Cup tie in September at the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) stadium.
India were drawn against their Pakistan for an away Asia-Oceania Zone Group 1 fixture.
Somdev Devvarman's poor comeback continued as he lost his sixth consecutive first round match when he suffered a straight sets defeat against Ernest Gulbis at ATP Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
Leander Paes may have kept everyone guessing whether he would participate in London Olympics, but Vishnu Vardhan, his doubles partner for the mega event, says he was always sure 'things would fall in place'.
Admitting that his pairing with Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles category would have been the best bet for India in the London Olympics, Mahesh Bhupathi on Tuesday said that the Indian star player was used without even being consulted.
Ending days of speculation, Sania Mirza was on Tuesday awarded a wild card entry along with Rushmi Chakravarthi for the women's doubles tennis event at the London Olympics.
India's preparations for a formal bid to stage the prestigious 2017 Under 17 Football World Cup is in the final stages with only the security clearance left from the hosting states, AIFF General Secretary Kushal Das said on Saturday.
Sports Minister Ajay Maken on Friday sought to steer clear of the furore surrounding the controversial tennis team selection for the London Olympics but said the feuding players should put national interest first.
India's leading tennis player Leander Paes slammed the warring duo of Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna for refusing to pair with him at the London Olympics and said he will withdraw from the Games if the All India Tennis Association decides to send two teams.
Sports minister Ajay Maken has refused to intervene in the selection crisis that has shaken Indian tennis, and left it to the All India Tennis Association to take a final call on the men's doubles combination for the London Olympics.
Mahesh Bhupathi will retire form tennis next year. The 38-year-old, the first Indian to win a Grand Slam title -- when he partnered Japan's Rika Hiraki to win the mixed doubles at the French Open in 1997 -- announced he will hang up his racket at the end of next year.
The Sports Ministry has confirmed that Wimbledon doubles champion Sania Mirza has been recommended for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna but made it clear that the final decision rests with only the Awards Committee.
Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna heaved a sigh of relief as the All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Thursday allowed the duo to team up for the upcoming London Olympics.
In a new twist to the crisis in Indian tennis, Somdev Devvarman, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, has said he is fit to partner Leander Paes in the Olympics if asked by the All India Tennis Association (AITA).
Leander Paes has achieved by creating a Davis Cup world record on a 'phenomenal' day for Indian tennis
India have decided to host their February 1 to 3 Davis Cup tie against Korea in the national capital.
Senior pro Leander Paes's place in the Indian Davis Cup team will be up for discussion when the AITA Selection Committee meets on Monday to pick the squad for the upcoming Asia/Oceania Zone tie against Uzbekistan.
Somdev Devvarman stoutly defended his decision to skip the Asian Games, saying "it did not make any sense" playing in Incheon for three weeks at a time when he is striving to return to the top-100.
Zeeshan Ali said Indian players are expected to do well in the World Group Play-off tie
In a surprise decision, Ankita was left out of the financial assistance scheme despite being India's top-ranked player. The Sports Ministry included second-highest ranked player Karman Kaur Thandi and Prarthana Thombare apart from seasoned Sania Mirza for Rs 50,000 monthly allowance.
Somdev Devvarman will spearhead India's singles challenge in a four-member team announced by the All India Tennis Association on Friday for the Davis Cup World Group playoffs against Japan from September 16 to 18.
A refurbished R K Khanna Tennis Complex was formally handed over to Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi on Monday, at a ceremony attended by Union Minister of Urban Development S Jaipal Reddy and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. Unlike other stadia, upgradation of which is being undertaken by government agencies like the DDA and NDMC, the tennis venue was completed by the All India Tennis Association (AITA).
Clay is not his preferred surface but Yuki Bhambri says he is ready for the French Open challenge and staying patient during long rallies will be key for his maiden campaign at the Roland Garros.
His participation at the Rio Olympics still shrouded in suspense, veteran Indian tennis star Leander Paes does not want another acrimonious build up to the Games, hoping that India will send its "best" team to the quadrennial extravaganza.
Anecdotes on Leander Paes flew thick and fast as India's tennis greats, former and present, came together to celebrate the 12-time Grand Slam winner's 21 years of representing the nation in Davis Cup.
India's top tennis players, who had threatened to boycott the Commonwealth Games because of non-payment of dues, on Saturday pledged to represent the country in the mega event after being given a categorical assurance that the vexed issues would be resolved soon.
The evening start for the Davis Cup tie against Spain has caught the Indian team by surprise with captain Anand Amritraj calling it an 'unfortunate' decision that has compromised the country's home advantage.
Path-breaking tennis ace Sania Mirza takes pride in the fact that many of India's sporting stars, outside cricket, are women even though she believes that it will take a few more generations before being a sportswoman is seen as a natural career choice in the country. The winner of six Grand Slam titles, spoke on a range of issues including the role of parents and attitude of coaches towards women players during a webinar organised by the All India Tennis Association and the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
His recent success on the ITF circuit on Tuesday fetched teenage sensation Yuki Bhambri a place in the Indian Davis Cup squad for the crucial World Group play-off tie against South Africa scheduled September 18 to 20.
