Adding to the joy of India's World Cup triumph, tennis players Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi won their second title of the season by clinching the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami to become number one in the ATP World Tour Doubles Team Rankings.
It was a perfect example of getting inspired in the wrong manner. The manner in which Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi played in their semi-final at the Chennai Open on Saturday made one feel like watching the Indian cricket team in action.
Mahesh Bhupathi has complained to the Sports Ministry over selection of the men's double team for London Olympics raising apprehensions over the AITA's selection process wherein he is being forced to pair with estranged partner Leander Paes.
Sania Mirza and Nuria Llagostera Vives progressed to the semi-finals of the China Open, coming from behind to beat Julia Goerges and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, in Beijing, on Thursday. The fifth seed Indo-Spanish pair overcame the fighting German-Czech pair 4-6, 6-4, 16-14 in 94 minutes.
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.
Insisting that it had not imposed a ban on Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) said that by sidelining the duo, it was sending out a message that indiscipline will not be tolerated at any cost.
Despite Mahesh Bhupathi lashing out at him in public over the selection of the men's doubles team for the London Olympics, Leander Paes refused to react and said he is ready to play with his former partner.
The year, which started offering dual hope for Indian tennis fans, ended up serving double disappointment instead.
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi revived their ATP World Tour finals campaign with a straight- set victory over Jurgen Melzer and Philip Petzschner in a group A round-robin match, in London, on Wednesday.
Rohan Bopanna said he is confident that his new association with 11 Grand Slam winner Mahesh Bhupathi on the professional Tour at the 2012 Chennai Open, in January, will augur well in the Olympic year.
At the start of 2011 Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi ended a nine-year separation when they teamed up for the Chennai Open and capped a glorious reunion by winning their fifth crown at the tournament.
They are back! And how? A few months ago, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi made a brief attempt -- at the Bangkok Open last September -- at reunification, with the Delhi Commonwealth Games in mind. Both those attempts though ended in failure.
It's a story of a partnership that ensured Indian tennis a brief period of glory before it went awry.\nLeander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi joined forces in the mid-90s, peaked in 1999 - winning two and reaching the finals of all the four majors, inspired hopes among millions of Indians and then went separate ways.
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi had things their way as India ruled the tennis courts at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday.
Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi should not be forced to play together at the London Olympics if they are not comfortable in playing as a team, feels Indian tennis legend Vijay Amritraj.
Veterans Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi and debutants Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi were, on Tuesday, placed in different groups for the season-ending ATP World Tour finals, starting, in London, on Sunday.
Tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi on Wednesday justified his decision to prefer Rohan Bopanna ahead of Leander Paes to represent India at the Beijing Olympic Games, saying the combination may not be the best but at least it has the preparation required to compete at the professional level.
A half-fit Sania Mirza and rookie Sunitha Rao tried every tricks in the book but still could not avert a defeat against top seeded Russian duo of Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina in the second round of the women's doubles tennis event of the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday night.
Rohan Bopanna and Rajeev Ram ousted fifth seeds Leander Paes and Paul Hanley in the second round of the Australian Open.
Sticking to its stand, the All India Tennis Association on Saturday said it will not change the players' combination for the London Olympics despite Mahesh Bhupathi categorically rejecting his pairing with Leander Paes.
The defending champions beat Hiu Tung Yu and Wing Luen Wayne Wong of Hong Kong 6-0, 6-4 in first round of the Asian Games doubles.
Leander Paes questioned partner Mahesh Bhupathi's commitment after the duo's loss in the tennis team event at the Asian Games.
Second seed and world number 14 Roberto Bautista Agut outclassed Benoit Paire in a lop-sided semi-final to set up the singles title clash of the ATP Chennai Open with young Daniil Medvedev, who rallied to reach his maiden ATP final, in Chennai on Saturday.
As tennis raise hopes of an Indian medal at the Rip Olympics, Bikash Mohapatra/Rediff.com put things in perspective.
Leander Paes was, on Saturday, gracious in defeat and conceded that Czech player Adam Pavlasek played "phenomenal" tennis in the Davis Cup doubles game in New Delhi.
'Prashant has left us and it is really tragic. But I want to hold on to those little moments of happiness that he shared with me and with others whose lives he touched. That is how I want to remember him.' Aseem Chhabra pays tribute to Patang director Prashant Bhargava, who passed away on May 16. He was only 42.
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