Indian tennis veteran Mahesh Bhupathi, teaming up with compatriot Saketh Myneni, won a hard-fought doubles pre-quarter-final on Wednesday to set up a mouth-watering clash with former partner Leander Paes at the ATP Chennai Open. They beat the Sood brothers -- Chandril and Lakshit -- 6-7, 6-4, 10-6.
Ace Indian doubles duo Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi won their doubles rubber against Romania to close the gap to 1-2 in the Davis Cup World Group Play-off.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Sunday.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday.
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.
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.
The 42-year-old Leander Paes's dream of appearing in a record seventh Olympics may remain just that if Rohan Bopanna decides to play with a player ranked lower than the world No 46.
India witnessed a mixed outing in the men's doubles event of the French Open as Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna crashed out in the first round even as veteran Leander Paes and his Austrian partner Jurgen Melzer eased into the next stage, in Paris.
His monumental achievements notwithstanding, controversies keep chasing Leander Paes.
Indian challenge in the men's doubles competition of the Wimbledon ended on Thursday with both Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna losing their respective semi-final matches after being engaged in gruelling five-setters.
Ramkumar Ramanathan, who will be playing singles alongside Prajnesh Gunneswaran, will form the second men's doubles pairing with Sumit Nagal, who arrived only late on Friday night.
With wet conditions caused by incessant rain adding to the challenge, veteran Indian tennis star Leander Paes said the team which adapts quicker will have the edge in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Group-I tie between India and South Korea starting, in Chandigarh, on Friday.
'The belief in each other is what is going to get us the medal'
Congratulating tennis stars Sania Mirza and Leander Paes, who won Grand Slams in the women's doubles and mixed doubles respectively at the US Open, former India cricket captain Rahul Dravid on Monday said that both are "huge inspiration" for aspiring sportspersons in the country.
Veteran Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi claims it was Leander Paes' decision to end their much-hyped reunion within a year as he felt that they "were possibly a little too old on the tour and not able to gel on a consistent basis."
The Sports Ministry has chosen 152 athletes across disciplines for Rs. 50,000 allowance per month for their preparations for next year's Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Leander Paes has experimented with 100 different players.
No.1 ranking will inspire 'Gen-Next' of Indian tennis, says Rohan Bopanna after achieving the feat
India to host Italy on grass in Kolkata
Following his title win at the Traralgon Challenger event, Indian tennis player Yuki Bhambri leapfrogged 73 places to 204 in the singles rankings on Monday even as Rohan Bopanna dropped out of the top-10 in the doubles chart.
The bitterness of not getting a shot at the Olympics mixed doubles event continues to rankle Leander Peas and the veteran Indian tennis star has no qualms in stating that the country did not send its best team in the event to Rio.
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".
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.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday
Paes said he was pleased to see the manner in which Nagal handled himself against a great like Federer.
Amid continuing suspense over India's doubles combination, veteran Leander Paes, on Wednesday, began training for the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group I tie against Uzbekistan, starting on Friday.
Leander Paes is ready to unleash his 'new version' when the sport resumes but the veteran tennis star fears that the organisers may not be able to pull off Tokyo Games and the legacy he wants to create by playing his eighth successive Olympics could remain an unrealised dream. Paes, who turned 47 on Wednesday, had announced that 2020 would be his last season and Tokyo Games was expected to be his swansong event but the COVID-19 pandemic upset his plans.
Gunning for yet another Grand Slam title, India's old war horse Leander Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek have been seeded fifth at the Australian Open and they will open their campaign against Czech pair of Lukas Dlouhy and Lukas Rosol.
Indian Acres' Rafael Nadal beat UAE Royals' Roger Federer to win the last set 6-5 through a shoot-out to help the Indian team win the Delhi leg of the Indian Premier Tennis League in New Delhi on Saturday.
Senior player Rohan Bopanna pulled out of India's upcoming tie against Pakistan due to a shoulder injury, paving the way for Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan's inclusion in the playing squad.
India's Rohan Bopanna and his Ukrainian partner Nadiia Kichenok moved into the mixed doubles second round at the Australian Open, in Melbourne, on Saturday. The Indo-Ukrainian pair beat Lyudmyla Kichenok of Ukraine and Austin Krajicek of US 7-5, 4-6, 10-6 in one hour and 15 minutes.
'They could have handled this in a better way. I've observed that when Paes gets selected, Bhupathi is left out and vice versa. This has been happening for last 10-15 years. This is not good for Indian tennis'
India, with players of the caliber of Sumit Nagal, Ramkumar Ramanathan and veteran Leander Paes, were already expected to win easy but pulling out of Pakistan top players Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan has made it a no-contest.
Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) had filed an appeal contesting the ITF Davis Cup Committee's November 4 decision to shift the November 29-30 tie to a neutral venue.
Paes was dropped from the tie against Uzbekistan last April. He has been out of favour since the Bengaluru fiasco when he was not included in the starting line-up by captain, Mahesh Bhupathi.
Leander Paes talks to Harish Kotian/Rediff.com about his recent Australian Open mixed doubles triumph and the special bond he shares with his former Grand Slam-winning partner, Martina Navratilova.
Nagal, who has played his best tennis this season, sent a confirmation to the All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Thursday night while Ramkumar had conveyed his availability a few days ago.
Yuki, ranked 93, has told AITA that if he gets direct entry into the last Grand Slam of the season, he won't be available.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
With India's recent Davis Cup triumph against Chinese Taipei coming without the experience of the stalwarts like Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, Somdev Devvarman, the country's No 1 singles player, feels it is time the focus shifts from the veteran duo to youngsters.