SPORTS

Lee-Hesh to team up again

By M Chhaya
September 17, 2004 18:46 IST

Their best may well be behind them, but Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi want to give it a go once more.

After the losing the bronze medal play-off at the Olympics, the two are pairing again for an ATP Championship event, beginning in Bangkok on September 27.

But it is not known whether the two will partner each other after the meet though there are four more major ATP doubles tournaments still to be played this year.

According to sources close to Bhupathi, who is now in Bangalore enjoying a brief break, Paes was looking for a partner for the Bangkok tournament and asked his erstwhile partner if he is willing to team up.

Bhupathi too didn't have a partner for the tournament and readily agreed.

But it is unlikely that the duo will team up for other doubles events later in the year as they have already committed themselves with other partners till November.

Leander made it to the doubles final of the U.S. Open with David Rikl of the Czech Republic, but Bhupathi, partnering Max Mirnyi, crashed out in the third round of the tournament.

Tennis circles, however, feel that the coming together of Leander and Bhupathi could be a good sign for India tennis.

Despite their shocking loss to a lower-ranked pair in the Olympics, the two demonstrated good understanding and flashes of their old time on-court camaraderie that took them to the zenith of world doubles tennis.

M Chhaya

NEXT ARTICLE

NewsBusinessMoviesSportsCricketGet AheadDiscussionLabsMyPageVideosCompany Email