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[cricinfo]

I always felt Paes is one of the true heroes of Indian sports and always very passionate about representing the country. Suddenly I see all the top players  - Bhupathi,Sania,Bopanna complaing about Paes and his attitude. It is surprising and saddening. I wonder what is the actual truth ? Is Paes really as bad as a team mate as it sounds to be or it is just a case of a set of players tied to some vested (All of them are somehow or other related to Bhupathi's sports managment firm I believe) interest ganging up against him ?

Either way shows how toothless is AITA

[k-slice]

i too thought that this was everyone ganging up against paes. I lost all respect for him when all this while he was moaning about how he plays for the country and country before ego and self and blah blah blah, then suddenly he says he will not play if his partner is a lower ranked player.
What happened to his Patriotic fervor then?
AITA had no business saying MB MUST play with Paes. MB and RB had just won a tournament together and Paes and MB have not played for a while. In any team sport it is hard to ignore personal issues. In this case it gets much harder considering there ins only 2 of them.

[dextrous]

I always felt Paes is one of the true heroes of Indian sports and always very passionate about representing the country. Suddenly I see all the top players  - Bhupathi,Sania,Bopanna complaing about Paes and his attitude. It is surprising and saddening. I wonder what is the actual truth ? Is Paes really as bad as a team mate as it sounds to be or it is just a case of a set of players tied to some vested (All of them are somehow or other related to Bhupathi's sports managment firm I believe) interest ganging up against him ?

Either way shows how toothless is AITA

MB is a more savvy businessman. Everyone--Sania, Yuki, RB, Mahesh, etc. are all part of GloboSport. Leander has always been a bit of a loner but MB has forgotten he was a nobody until Paes, who was already in the top-25 of doubles, gave up on money and a year of his tennis life by playing low-level tournaments with Mahesh all over so Mahesh could get his ranking up.

But the only one who has a real problem with Leander is Mahesh. RB is somewhat his sidekick. Globosport did get him a lot of wildcards and such, so you have to admire the man's loyalty.

Sania and Leander have a cordial relationship. Media headlines and her closeness to Mahesh notwithstanding.

[dextrous]

i too thought that this was everyone ganging up against paes. I lost all respect for him when all this while he was moaning about how he plays for the country and country before ego and self and blah blah blah, then suddenly he says he will not play if his partner is a lower ranked player.
What happened to his Patriotic fervor then?
AITA had no business saying MB MUST play with Paes. MB and RB had just won a tournament together and Paes and MB have not played for a while. In any team sport it is hard to ignore personal issues. In this case it gets much harder considering there ins only 2 of them.

That's a crock of BS. In a tennis team event, only AITA decides what team to field.

Let's go over the chain of events:
Leander said he would play with ANYONE.
Mahesh and RB they will only play with themselves.
Sania said she prefers Mahesh but would be honored to play with Leander as well.

AITA chose Mahesh & Leander (the right selection, in my mind). Mahesh said he will not play. Rohan said he will not play. The Bhupathis are well-connected with Congress government in power. They put pressure on AITA. AITA buckled. Rohan and Mahesh have had insipid results. They should not be playing with each other--they both play on the forehand side. Paes and either of them would be the right combination--not just because Paes is the best of the lot, but also because, they play on different sides. This was the point at which Leander said if you buckled under pressure and don't send the right team I won't play (which he's going to now, anyway).

In terms of Leander and patriotism--give me a break, there have been very few people who have played for India this long with this much dedication in any sport. Tennis is a south-dominated sport and factionalism runs deep. He had to contend with Vijay's dominance on Indian tennis. He nurtured Mahesh with the ambition of winning doubles medals for India (who does that on pro-tour these days?!) when in the 2000s he could have easily gone with a European player.

If I were the world # 7 and one of the 5 individual medalists for India EVER and am being asked to play with #301 because Bhupathi is connected with Congress, I'd be a tad bit upset as well. That is human.

[dextrous]

By the way, all of this goes back to around 2008, when Prakash Amritraj (who was not Indian, should never have played for India but for papa Amritraj's influence) showed up hungover for a Davis Cup match. Leander was furious. Amritraj was dropped from the squad then and there. Mahesh and Leander, of course, didn't get along. RB, MB, and PA, aided by Vijay, thought Paes had gone too far and sought to cut his wings. He was removed as captain right after that.

[Blwe_torch]

For me, Paes still remains the favorite....but i also believe, that he was partly responsible for the straining of his ties with MB

[vincent]

These are the politics that have ruined India in every sports domain. I am still a fan of Leander. He is way above his prime but still has in him to win one or two more grand slams if only politics will allow him.

[k-slice]

i too thought that this was everyone ganging up against paes. I lost all respect for him when all this while he was moaning about how he plays for the country and country before ego and self and blah blah blah, then suddenly he says he will not play if his partner is a lower ranked player.
What happened to his Patriotic fervor then?
AITA had no business saying MB MUST play with Paes. MB and RB had just won a tournament together and Paes and MB have not played for a while. In any team sport it is hard to ignore personal issues. In this case it gets much harder considering there ins only 2 of them.

That's a crock of BS. In a tennis team event, only AITA decides what team to field.

Let's go over the chain of events:
Leander said he would play with ANYONE.
Mahesh and RB they will only play with themselves.
Sania said she prefers Mahesh but would be honored to play with Leander as well.

AITA chose Mahesh & Leander (the right selection, in my mind). Mahesh said he will not play. Rohan said he will not play. The Bhupathis are well-connected with Congress government in power. They put pressure on AITA. AITA buckled. Rohan and Mahesh have had insipid results. They should not be playing with each other--they both play on the forehand side. Paes and either of them would be the right combination--not just because Paes is the best of the lot, but also because, they play on different sides. This was the point at which Leander said if you buckled under pressure and don't send the right team I won't play (which he's going to now, anyway).

In terms of Leander and patriotism--give me a break, there have been very few people who have played for India this long with this much dedication in any sport. Tennis is a south-dominated sport and factionalism runs deep. He had to contend with Vijay's dominance on Indian tennis. He nurtured Mahesh with the ambition of winning doubles medals for India (who does that on pro-tour these days?!) when in the 2000s he could have easily gone with a European player.

If I were the world # 7 and one of the 5 individual medalists for India EVER and am being asked to play with #301 because Bhupathi is connected with Congress, I'd be a tad bit upset as well. That is human.

1. If AITA makes a decision that is clearly not going to work should AITA not be questioned?
2. Congress connections? is there definitive proof of that or just hearsay? even if it is hearsay, is the source actually reliable?
3. Paes and His patriotism: I was a believer that he was super patriotic. that went out of the window when he said he wouldn't play with X or Y AFTER saying he is willing to play with anyone for the love of the country. That was a quick turnaround right?
4. Globosport is not the only company that can manage players. if the players thought that this "fight" was not in their interest, i doubt they woul dhave stuck with MB.

It is clear that NOBODY wants to play with LP. why? i have no idea. Ideally, it would have been awesome if MB and LP could have put their issues behind them and had one last shot at a medal together. considering they have failed in theor past gazillion attempts would be cause for concern but hey if they thought they could maybe they could. Paes started off with everyones support considering MB and RB were acting like asses IMO. he screwed that for sure with saying he wont play with lower ranked players. As for Sania, she can shut up for all i care. She never was, and still isnt a medal hopeful unless she has a strong partner carrying her. i think with Paes that is possible.

[dextrous]

1. That's your opinion. Just because Sehwag and Dhoni don't like each other doesn't mean they are not selected together. They represent INDIA in world events, not themselves.  AITA, like BCCI, is one of the few organizations that actually has some clout. Sania and Somdev both got a wildcard for crying out loud. this was a no-win situation for AITA--1 out of 3 ppl were going to be left out.

Further, all players took money from AITA for 12 months to represent India unconditionally with anyone. They didn't have to; they chose to do so.

2. Why do you think the External Minister and the Sports Ministers were involved? Do you think AITA switched its stance out of goodwill for Mahesh and Globosport?

3. I imagine you're saying this all from the supposed leaked report in the Indian newspapers that Sania latched on to as well. Even there the context was that he was originally selected and then jettisoned for another pair.

But if you're going to hold Leander to super-human standards, I have to say it is a funny way to judge people based one comment he made--20 years of commitment to India completlely forgotten because you have never said anything in the heat of the moment, right? Compared to all that Mahesh has said in public in the last two weeks, Paes has actually said NOTHING. Not one bad word about Mahesh in the public.

To me, it is absurd that you're holding Paes by the gunpoint for one report based on media "leak". The only thing Leander has said about the whole episode in public was yesterday. And even if he did say it, so what? You're taking away one of India's few legitimate medal contenders and pairing him with a hopeless journeyman--Leander wouldn't be patriotic if he didn't.

4. In Indian tennis, Globosport is the only companies that manages tennis players. There might be some tiny ones but that's the major one. Globosport also is responsible for tennis tournaments, including India's only ATP event. Even a WC into an ATP event gets you dollars and ranking points that someone like Bhambhri would take 3-4 weeks of grind on the tour to earn. Outside
------
Who is "NOBODY"? Other than MB, NOBODY has a problem playing with Paes. RB stuck up for his partner, which is admirable in this case.

[dextrous]

For me, Paes still remains the favorite....but i also believe, that he was partly responsible for the straining of his ties with MB

Yes, I agree with you. Neither party is faultless in the breaking of the ties. But Paes is by far the better player right now. Mahesh hasn't won MD title in a long time and he has had many more consistent partners than LP.

[k-slice]

1. That's your opinion. Just because Sehwag and Dhoni don't like each other doesn't mean they are not selected together. They represent INDIA in world events, not themselves.  AITA, like BCCI, is one of the few organizations that actually has some clout. Sania and Somdev both got a wildcard for crying out loud. this was a no-win situation for AITA--1 out of 3 ppl were going to be left out.

Further, all players took money from AITA for 12 months to represent India unconditionally with anyone. They didn't have to; they chose to do so.

2. Why do you think the External Minister and the Sports Ministers were involved? Do you think AITA switched its stance out of goodwill for Mahesh and Globosport?

3. I imagine you're saying this all from the supposed leaked report in the Indian newspapers that Sania latched on to as well. Even there the context was that he was originally selected and then jettisoned for another pair.

But if you're going to hold Leander to super-human standards, I have to say it is a funny way to judge people based one comment he made--20 years of commitment to India completlely forgotten because you have never said anything in the heat of the moment, right? Compared to all that Mahesh has said in public in the last two weeks, Paes has actually said NOTHING. Not one bad word about Mahesh in the public.

To me, it is absurd that you're holding Paes by the gunpoint for one report based on media "leak". The only thing Leander has said about the whole episode in public was yesterday. And even if he did say it, so what? You're taking away one of India's few legitimate medal contenders and pairing him with a hopeless journeyman--Leander wouldn't be patriotic if he didn't.

4. In Indian tennis, Globosport is the only companies that manages tennis players. There might be some tiny ones but that's the major one. Globosport also is responsible for tennis tournaments, including India's only ATP event. Even a WC into an ATP event gets you dollars and ranking points that someone like Bhambhri would take 3-4 weeks of grind on the tour to earn. Outside
------
Who is "NOBODY"? Other than MB, NOBODY has a problem playing with Paes. RB stuck up for his partner, which is admirable in this case.

1. Well it is equally your opinion that AITA should not be questioned. Lets agree to disagree on this point.
2. You are assuming that MB has clout. The fact that Indian Tennis looks daft thanks to this crap might have had something to do with the sports minister getting involved. that isnt too far fetched a theory.
3. it is not about holding someone to super human standards. It is about the idea that for me, Paes lost any moral high ground when he chose to say that. I am not aware if the report was leaked or otherwise but i read it in most of the newspapers from india and hence had no reason to doubt its validity, the standard argument that all newspapers lie notwithstanding.
4. I am surprised if that is true. Who represents paes?

Well of the TWO players who he could have been partnered with, BOTH decided they did not want to play with him. hence NOBODY wanted to be his partner in the mens Doubles. I dont blame them for not wanting to partner him considering they have been playing together for a few months now with the intention of continuing on at the Olympics.
Paes has done a lot for the country and i respect that. At the same time you cant expect MB to forget all animosity and go out and play with him. Your cricket example is weak at best. If MSD and VS have issues, there are 9 other players in the team. Akash Chopra and Shikhar Dhawan hated each other and managed to play and that was mainly because there were 9 other players who they could communicate through to each other. I dont see that working so well with LP and MB. either way both of them have tried 4 times to win an olympic medal and failed. why keep trying with the same pair who did not manage it in their prime?

[k-slice]

and his latest statement:

LONDON: India's No.1 doubles player Leander Paes arrived for his Wimbledon post-match briefing with his angelic daughter Aiyana and trainer Sanjay Singh in tow. The 39-year-old then read out a carefully worded press statement which confirmed his participation for the 2012 London Games, if there was any doubt on the matter at all. He then went on to add that he would partner whoever the All India Tennis Association (AITA) had nominated him to play with - Vishnu Vardhan in the men's doubles and Sania Mirza in the mixed.

The statement said, "I'm here to play sport and not politics. I'm looking forward to representing my country with the teams that the All India Tennis Association has selected. Unfortunately, I see the games being played within games. As much as that is very disheartening, I am looking forward to playing my sixth Olympics for my country as I have played for 22-years for the people and the flag."

Paes at first refused to take any questions on the events surrounding the Olympics selection on June 15th, but later, while steering clear of tougher topics like - Sania's press statement that slammed the demands made by Paes and his Olympian father Vece or even how he planned to prepare for the quadrennial Games with a partner (Sania) he hadn't bothered to play a single Grand Slam with - he spoke about preparing for the Games in general.

Paes said he would be playing World Team Tennis in the United States as preparation for the Olympics, which will be played on grass at Wimbledon from July 28. "I believe it'll be a wet July here, so it makes sense for me to get away and get match practice," he said.

Paes, set to make a record sixth Olympic appearance, said all the players on the Indian team were professional and knew what was expected of them. "The only one I need to worry about is Vishnu," he said before adding, "I don't think he's been to Wimbledon before. I don't even know if he has grass-court shoes, poor guy. So it's a bit of a tough one. But he's a really good kid, I'm happy to play with him. And I really like him. Whatever the obstacles are, which I see are going to be many, as an experienced professional athlete, I look to help my partners out."

While Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna refused to partner Paes in the men's doubles, Sania has made her preference to partner Bhupathi clear. The mixed-doubles sign in for the Olympics is July 31. "Every Olympics has some nonsense coming with it," Paes said, "I know how much hard work goes into what I do. Either people choose to respect it, which I'm very lucky that most of India does, or people choose to disrespect. That's their problem, not mine. I deserve to play my sixth Olympics and be in the history books. No one can stop me."

[dextrous]

Most of these journalists reporting on tennis are not tennis journalists. Due to the media frenzy in India over this, all sorts of reporters, such as my cousin who is a finance reporter, have been assigned to cover tennis. As a result you're getting a lot of ridiculous reporting and statements from Mahesh, Sania, Leander's father being passed off as facts, depending on who the reporter knows best. I would think twice before reading anything written in Indian newspapers unless its a full complete broadcast interview. DNA is one of the few newspapers in India that had a dedicated tennis reporter before all of this fiasco.

[dextrous]

and his latest statement:

LONDON: India's No.1 doubles player Leander Paes arrived for his Wimbledon post-match briefing with his angelic daughter Aiyana and trainer Sanjay Singh in tow. The 39-year-old then read out a carefully worded press statement which confirmed his participation for the 2012 London Games, if there was any doubt on the matter at all. He then went on to add that he would partner whoever the All India Tennis Association (AITA) had nominated him to play with - Vishnu Vardhan in the men's doubles and Sania Mirza in the mixed.

The statement said, "I'm here to play sport and not politics. I'm looking forward to representing my country with the teams that the All India Tennis Association has selected. Unfortunately, I see the games being played within games. As much as that is very disheartening, I am looking forward to playing my sixth Olympics for my country as I have played for 22-years for the people and the flag."

Paes at first refused to take any questions on the events surrounding the Olympics selection on June 15th, but later, while steering clear of tougher topics like - Sania's press statement that slammed the demands made by Paes and his Olympian father Vece or even how he planned to prepare for the quadrennial Games with a partner (Sania) he hadn't bothered to play a single Grand Slam with - he spoke about preparing for the Games in general.

Paes said he would be playing World Team Tennis in the United States as preparation for the Olympics, which will be played on grass at Wimbledon from July 28. "I believe it'll be a wet July here, so it makes sense for me to get away and get match practice," he said.

Paes, set to make a record sixth Olympic appearance, said all the players on the Indian team were professional and knew what was expected of them. "The only one I need to worry about is Vishnu," he said before adding, "I don't think he's been to Wimbledon before. I don't even know if he has grass-court shoes, poor guy. So it's a bit of a tough one. But he's a really good kid, I'm happy to play with him. And I really like him. Whatever the obstacles are, which I see are going to be many, as an experienced professional athlete, I look to help my partners out."

While Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna refused to partner Paes in the men's doubles, Sania has made her preference to partner Bhupathi clear. The mixed-doubles sign in for the Olympics is July 31. "Every Olympics has some nonsense coming with it," Paes said, "I know how much hard work goes into what I do. Either people choose to respect it, which I'm very lucky that most of India does, or people choose to disrespect. That's their problem, not mine. I deserve to play my sixth Olympics and be in the history books. No one can stop me."

This is actually not a bad version of the interview though there are 15 different versions out there now in different papers with various scandalous headlines.

Here's the complete article:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/29/us-tennis-olympics-paes-idUSBRE85S02R20120629

This, by the way, is the ONLY statement Leander Paes has issued since the fiasco began. Leander's father talks a lot, as does Mahesh's and there are all sorts of "leaks" but this right here is the only thing Leander has actually said.

[dave_dj]

i too thought that this was everyone ganging up against paes. I lost all respect for him when all this while he was moaning about how he plays for the country and country before ego and self and blah blah blah, then suddenly he says he will not play if his partner is a lower ranked player.
What happened to his Patriotic fervor then?
AITA had no business saying MB MUST play with Paes. MB and RB had just won a tournament together and Paes and MB have not played for a while. In any team sport it is hard to ignore personal issues. In this case it gets much harder considering there ins only 2 of them.

Why can't they say who partners with whom?  Aren't these players representing the country. 

You seem to have higher standard for Paes but not much Bhupathi.  He is the one blackmailing the nation if he doesn't have his way.  Any organization that means anything would kick out Bhupathi for his blackmailing.  No wonder we negotiate with terrorists.

[dextrous]

If they can't decide the team, what's the point of having five selectors? And why on the earth did Mahesh take 72,000USD when he didn't intend to play with the association's choice.

Except for one leaked report, which is the basis for condemnation of Paes, he has said before and now that he will play with anyone. On the other hand, Mahesh has refused to play with anyone but RB throughout, except when he took the govt's money. The only time Leander said he wouldn't play with someone as per the leaked report is when AITA was bending over backwards and taking it from MB AFTER the team was announced. That's fair, IMO, even if he said it. On top of that, even in the leaked report, per Leander there was nuance -- he would play with ANYONE if RB/MB refused to go. If they decide to go, and AITA decides to listen to their whims and fancies, only then did he ever threaten to withdraw. Which he didn't in any case. But if you view the whole thing in context and compare it to what MB & RB did, LP didn't do anything half as bad.

And MB STILL is taking potshots at Leander at Wimbledon when Leander is preferring to say 'no comments'.

[feverpitch]

As far as I remember hearing in tennis circles, the trouble started with Bhupathi recommending Enrico Piperno, his personal coach, as the national coach for Davis Cup. Piperno is supposedly a closet gay, and had long ago supposedly propositioned Paes, the archetype alpha male. The rest, as they say, is pastry...

[k-slice]

i too thought that this was everyone ganging up against paes. I lost all respect for him when all this while he was moaning about how he plays for the country and country before ego and self and blah blah blah, then suddenly he says he will not play if his partner is a lower ranked player.
What happened to his Patriotic fervor then?
AITA had no business saying MB MUST play with Paes. MB and RB had just won a tournament together and Paes and MB have not played for a while. In any team sport it is hard to ignore personal issues. In this case it gets much harder considering there ins only 2 of them.

Why can't they say who partners with whom?  Aren't these players representing the country. 

You seem to have higher standard for Paes but not much Bhupathi.  He is the one blackmailing the nation if he doesn't have his way.  Any organization that means anything would kick out Bhupathi for his blackmailing.  No wonder we negotiate with terrorists.

i dont have higher standards for Paes. As for AITA, they can definitely say who partners whom but if they want to send a team that has A, tried 4 times and never won at the olympics, B. HATE each other, then they too should be questioned. tomorrow if they left out Sehwag, Dhoni, SRT and Kohli in a world cup, wouldnt people go ape-sh it about it?
all said and done i hope these fools get a medal after all this tamasha.

[k-slice]

and G's take on it: from TOI

KOLKATA: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Saturday welcomed the decision by Leander Paes to participate in London Olympics after threatening to pull out for being paired with lower-ranked Vishnu Vardhan.

"It's a very good news that at the end of the day, he will be competing at the Olympics. He has shown the right attitude," Ganguly said.

Asked whether the treatment meted out to Paes was somewhat similar to his infamous spat with former coach Greg Chappell, Ganguly said, "The two are different issues. It's unfair to compare both."

The AITA was forced to bow down to Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna's wishes after they refused to play with Paes.

And about the Board's firm stance on the contentious Decision Review System, Ganguly said, "DRS is not foolproof yet."

Citing the example of Ian Bell's bizzare run-out decision in a Test against India last year, Ganguly said, "The Board's stance is valid."

[Blwe_torch]

Mahesh Bhupathi-Sania Mirza crash out of Wimbledon
PTI | Jun 30, 2012, 05.44PM IST


LONDON: French Open champions Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza crashed out of the Wimbledon with a crushing straight-set defeat to Australian P Hanley and Russia's A Kudryavtseva in the second round of the mixed doubles competition on Saturday.

The fifth seeded Indian combo, who had clinched their second Grand Slam title together earlier this month, suffered a 3-6, 1-6 defeat to the unseeded pair in a 50-minute match at the All England Club.

The Australian-Russian combo sent down six aces and also broke the Indian pair four times out of the seven chances that came their way. In comparison, Sania and Bhupathi failed to create any opportunity and also had three double faults and four unforced errors.

The Indians, who would not be playing together in next month's London Olympics after the All India Tennis Association (AITA) paired Sania with Leander Paes in mixed doubles, were better than their rivals in their first serve but they failed miserably in the second in the opening set.

In the second set, Sania and Bhupathi looked lacklustre as Hanley and Kudryavtseva sent down four aces and pushed the Indians to commit unforced errors and sealed the match comfortably.

The winners also broke the Indians thrice out of the six chances in the second set.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/wimbledon-2012/indian-challenge/Mahesh-Bhupathi-Sania-Mirza-crash-out-of-Wimbledon/articleshow/14530256.cms

[dextrous]

i too thought that this was everyone ganging up against paes. I lost all respect for him when all this while he was moaning about how he plays for the country and country before ego and self and blah blah blah, then suddenly he says he will not play if his partner is a lower ranked player.
What happened to his Patriotic fervor then?
AITA had no business saying MB MUST play with Paes. MB and RB had just won a tournament together and Paes and MB have not played for a while. In any team sport it is hard to ignore personal issues. In this case it gets much harder considering there ins only 2 of them.

Why can't they say who partners with whom?  Aren't these players representing the country. 

You seem to have higher standard for Paes but not much Bhupathi.  He is the one blackmailing the nation if he doesn't have his way.  Any organization that means anything would kick out Bhupathi for his blackmailing.  No wonder we negotiate with terrorists.

i dont have higher standards for Paes. As for AITA, they can definitely say who partners whom but if they want to send a team that has A, tried 4 times and never won at the olympics, B. HATE each other, then they too should be questioned. tomorrow if they left out Sehwag, Dhoni, SRT and Kohli in a world cup, wouldnt people go ape-sh it about it?
all said and done i hope these fools get a medal after all this tamasha.

4 times is such a funny way to look at things. To put it in context, in over 100 years, India has won 9 medals outside of field hockey--2 from a Britisher. In that context, Paes and Mahesh have come closer to winning two medals in Olympics for India than any other athelete from India. That's a realistic way of looking at it.

As long as Leander and Mahesh qualify, they can try six times and fail--if they are the best in the country, they should play for the country. Mahesh and Rohan are a sub-par team where both play on the backhand side and Leander-Vishnu are just a plain bad team.  There is zero medal hope with this combination. If you want a cricket analogy, it would be like fielding only spinners at Lord's.

--

Unable to understand your analogy about dropping people? Who is getting dropped? Leander? And yeah, perhaps that's why people are outraged in that the best doubles player in the country will be playing with someone who has never really played on the ATP tour.

[dextrous]

A disappointed Sania said, "Today wasn't our best day on the court. That was obvious. They got a little lucky early in the match and we didn't help our case by the way we played." The 25-year-old added, "Besides, every match we play is not a warm-up for the Olympics. We've committed to playing all year together. We are playing Wimbledon right now which is a big enough tournament on its own. So, losing today isn't a tragedy, nothing about our stand changes."

---
hmm!

[Blwe_torch]

I happen to be a Sania supporter...so I support whatever she says..........
All the best for the Olympics!

[dextrous]

Paes does his bit for Vishnu
LOKENDRA PRATAP SAHI

Calcutta: Having decided to compete in the Olympics (a decision first reported in these columns), Leander Paes is working on a programme for young Vishnu Vardhan, chosen as his doubles partner for the extravaganza in London.

Leander has never partnered the 24-year-old.

According to The Telegraph’s sources, Leander has already made arrangements for Vardhan to train at Big W, venue for the Olympics, in the ongoing Championship’s final week.

After Wimbledon gets over, Leander moves to the US for the World Team Tennis (WTT) and Vardhan will “in all probability” travel with him and train too.

If a hitch develops, then Leander will make arrangements for Vardhan to keep training on grass, the surface for the Olympics, and wait for the July 16 opening of the Games Village.

One wonders what Leander’s detractors have to say about the initiative he’s taken for, among other things, team bonding.

While the Olympics begin on July 27, the tennis competition starts a day later. The WTT is scheduled for between July 9-28.

The sources have informed that, if Vardhan has to travel to the US, then his tickets will be taken care of by the All India Tennis Association. As for the other expenses, Leander has got a sponsor on board.

Leander turns out for the Washington Kastles in the WTT and was adjudged the Most Valuable Men’s Player in 2009 and in 2011. Teammates include the Williams sisters.

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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120701/jsp/sports/story_15677800.jsp#.T_CX4fVc7tl

[Blwe_torch]

Wow!...it is all upto Leander now...

[RicePlateReddy]

Aren't we just destined for a Paes and Varshan vs Bhupathi and Bopanna

[cricinfo]

If Bhupathi would have played with Paes,Bopanna did not have any chance to qualifies for Olympics, same with Bhupathi as well if Paes would have partnered Bopanna.

So no wonder they stuck to each other to make sure they both get into Olympics

[vincent]

If Bhupathi would have played with Paes,Bopanna did not have any chance to qualifies for Olympics, same with Bhupathi as well if Paes would have partnered Bopanna.

So no wonder they stuck to each other to make sure they both get into Olympics

Yes,not very different from all these Babu hordes who want to get to the Olympics because of their "contribution" to sports.

[k-slice]

Aren't we just destined for a Paes and Varshan vs Bhupathi and Bopanna

if it is in the finals, i will be super happy considering that would mean 2 medals for India!

[ganavk]

More realistic picture
http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/sports/advantage-nobody

[dextrous]

If Bhupathi would have played with Paes,Bopanna did not have any chance to qualifies for Olympics, same with Bhupathi as well if Paes would have partnered Bopanna.

So no wonder they stuck to each other to make sure they both get into Olympics

actually paes made a mistake...had he stayed out of top 10 like these two gentlemen, AITA would have sent Leander +1. By staying in top 10 he gave India an extra slot, which backfired for him!

[dextrous]

so much natak...and then this...

Paes-Stepanek, Bhupathi-Bopanna out of Wimbledon

[feverpitch]

and piperno is the new tennis expert on cnn ibn

[dextrous]

and piperno is the new tennis expert on cnn ibn

that's somewhat funny. the whole reason for the breakup (original) was piperno

[dextrous]

Paes only Indian left in the main draw of any event.

(4) Leander Paes (IND) / Elena Vesnina (RUS) d. Max Mirnyi (BLR) / Vika Azarenka (BLR) 76(3) 63

There are quite a few Olympic combinations in the mxd double draw, which makes it a bit more exciting. Azarenka, a top singles player, found wanting at the net.

[Blwe_torch]

Paes only Indian left in the main draw of any event.

(4) Leander Paes (IND) / Elena Vesnina (RUS) d. Max Mirnyi (BLR) / Vika Azarenka (BLR) 76(3) 63

There are quite a few Olympic combinations in the mxd double draw, which makes it a bit more exciting. Azarenka, a top singles player, found wanting at the net.

in the background of the Olympic fiasco...this looks funny

[RicePlateReddy]

Paes and Vesnina are in the mixed doubles finals (due to be played today, after the men's finals) following their victory over the number 1 seeds in the semifinal.

[dextrous]

Can Paes take out two Bryans!

[RicePlateReddy]

Almost made it. Lost in the 3rd set.

Eat that Bhupathi.

[Blwe_torch]

Some moments of the mixed doubles final....











Well played Paes and Vesnina!