India Has a Problem Over Olympic Men’s Doubles Teaming

Written by: Staff on 20th June 2012

India Has a Problem Over Olympic Men’s Doubles Teaming

epa03052355 Mahesh Bhupathi (L) and Rohan Bopanna of India in action during their semi final match against Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram of Israel at the Chennai Open 2012 tennis tournament in Chennai, India, 07 January 2012. Erlich and Ram won 4-6, 6-3 and 10-8. EPA/NATHAN G |

A long-simmering Indian doubles feud looks set to spill over into the London Olympics, with Leander Paes seeming a pariah to a pair of his fellow ATP colleagues.

Tennis officials have blasted Rohan Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi for refusing to team with No. 7 Paes in doubles. The problem is as much player politics as anything else, with Bhupathi and Bopanna now a team on the ATP.

Paes, who teamed with Bhupathi at four previous Games, has a ranking which allows him to play with any Olympic partner. But if Bopanna does not get into the Games with Bhupathi as a unit, then the younger player would not qualify on his own for the trip to London.

Indian tennis officials are angry that neither man will team with Paes, who has fallen out with Bhupathi in recent seasons. “Two players cannot make a pact with each other to keep the number one player out,” read a statement form Indian tennis authorities.

“It would be meaningless to send Leander with a junior player. . . Leander being the best player must be paired with either Rohan Bopanna or Mahesh Bhupathi.”

Topics: Indian tennis news, Leander Paes, London Olympics, Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna