London: Star Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi who is one of the players involved in the ongoing tennis fracas in the country after his first round victory at the Wimbledon said that Leander Paes being the number one player in India deserves to go to London Olympics but then with someone who is willing to partner him.
"Everyone seems to think that I am the one who is manipulating and pulling the strings for all these extremely individual and successful tennis players like Sania Mirza, Rohan Bopanna and Somdev Devvarman. It is not true. People need to ask hard questions. Being the No.1 player in India, Paes definitely deserves to go to the Olympics, but then with someone who wants to play with him," said Bhupathi at the post match conference.
Bhupathi who few weeks back won the French Open mixed doubles titles with Sania Mirza unfortunately would not be pairing together at the Olympics as Mirza would pair with Leander pointed out at her press release and sad that he could feel the and said “We have won two Grand Slam titles together, one of them few weeks back. Now it is for them to decide what they want to do, win a medal for India or as Sania said in her statement, keep one player happy.”
Bhupathi also clarified the point in which Sania said that Bhupathi forgot his commitment to win an Olympic medal together with her saying that he is still committed to her and if given a chance he would pair with him.
Meanwhile Bhupathi’s partner at the Olympic and the Wimbledon said that grass is his favorite surface and playing Olympics on grass would be great and also that he is committed to play for the name. “There is nothing great than representing the country and his breaking up with Aisam Ul Haq just to be able to partner Bhupathi at Olympics is an example to that. I put the country ahead of self,” said Bhupathi.
Earlier Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna progressed to the second round of the men’s doubles, after they beat Uruguay’s Marcel Felder and Tunisia’s Malek Jaziri 6-0, 7-6(1), 6-2 in a match that lasted for an hour and 36 minutes.
By Indian Sports News Network
