Al-Jasser: work is underway to restructure and develop aviation infrastructure    Diriyah to host third IMFC Deputies meeting under Saudi chairmanship    15,135 decisions taken to penalize Saudis and expats for violations    Saudi-European Parliamentary Friendship Committee discusses cooperation during Strasbourg visit    Saudi stock market loses half a trillion riyals, with Aramco's losses amounting to SR340 billion Tariff turmoil rattles Gulf markets    KAU to host Digital Communication Conference in Jeddah from April 29 to May 1    TGA: Riyadh tops with 45% of 290 million orders delivered in 2024    Aja and Salma mountains draw nature lovers to Hail's rugged landscapes    US revokes all visas for South Sudanese nationals over deportation dispute    Death toll from Myanmar earthquake rises to 3,471    Macron to hold Gaza summit with Egypt and Jordan in Cairo    Benzema rescues Al Ittihad with stoppage-time equalizer in thrilling Jeddah Derby    Al Qadsiah and Al Ettifaq share spoils in tense Eastern Derby stalemate    Moussa Diaby praises Al Ittihad's resilience after Jeddah Derby draw "When you can't win, you take a point"    Saudi assistant referee Iman Al Madani joins AFC elite list for 2025    Riyadh Art Week launches with over 50 galleries showcasing global artistic dialogue    Turki Al-Sheikh announces five new Saudi film projects to be produced in Riyadh    Saudi Ministry of Education to showcase innovations at 2025 Geneva International Exhibition    Ed Sheeran weaves Persian music into new song, Azizam    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Screen time in bed linked to insomnia, study finds    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    King Salman prays for peace and stability for Palestinians in Ramadan message King reaffirms Saudi Arabia's commitment to serving the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Indian tennis turns into a soap opera
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 14 - 07 - 2012

NEW DELHI – Indian tennis has turned into a soap opera in the lead up to the London Olympics, with insults and accusations of treachery flying and some players openly seething at their doubles partners.
The conflict centers on Leander Paes, India's most recognizable face in tennis to the outside world, but an athlete who has apparently burned bridges with nearly every one of his potential teammates.
Paes became a national hero when he won a singles bronze at the 1996 Games, breaking a 44-year drought of individual Olympic medals for India. At 39, he's still considered one of the country's best medal hopes as one of the world's top doubles players.
The problem is, there's a lack of Indian players wanting to play with him.
He was initially supposed to play in India's only men's double entry with former partner Mahesh Bhupathi, with whom he won 26 doubles titles on the professional tour, including three in Grand Slams.
But Bhupathi, who also has an enviable record in doubles play and was ranked 14th in the world, refused to play with Paes because he had been partnering Rohan Bopanna on the ATP circuit in preparation for the Olympics. Bopanna, ranked 12th in doubles, turned Paes down for the same reason.
Indian tennis officials scrambled to put Bopanna and Bhupathi together as a second doubles entry and partner Paes with 307th-ranked Vishnu Vardhan, whom Paes proceeded to publicly belittle.
“I don't think he's been to Wimbledon before,” said Paes, ranked 7th in doubles. “I don't even know if he has grass-court shoes, poor guy.”
Paes was so reluctant to play with Vardhan, Indian tennis officials had to sweeten the deal, promising he could play mixed doubles, considered a more realistic medal opportunity, with India's top female player, Sania Mirza.
Mirza, who had just won the French Open mixed doubles with Bhupathi, was not happy.
“As an Indian woman belonging to the 21st century, what I find disillusioning is the humiliating manner in which I was put up as a bait to try and pacify one of the disgruntled stalwarts of Indian tennis,” she said.
Trying to calm the angry Mirza, tennis officials named her mother as a team manager, sending her to London as well.
The conflict between Paes and Bhupathi has been a major talking point in Indian sport, and even five-time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand weighed into the debate this week, saying the affair had been mishandled.
“They have disagreements and that's normal in a sport. But they should have done it much ahead and done it quietly when there's time. It's unpleasant,” Anand said. — AP


Clic here to read the story from its source.