Mahesh Bhupathi slams Paes-Bopanna on “no preparation” for Olympics

Mahesh Bhupathi slams Paes-Bopanna on “no preparation” for Olympics

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It turned out to be no surprise when Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna crashed out in the very first match at the Rio Olympics after having practised a total of zero matches. Paes' ex-partner Mahesh Bhupathi has slammed the duo's lack of preparation saying they did not do what the Olympics demands.

Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna paired up at the Rio Olympics for the men's doubles event after a long and dramatic process. However, the drama refused to die down until day zero as Paes landed late and Bopanna was forced to practice at the Olympic facility with other partners. Paes landed at Rio only to find out that he was not even allocated a room. The duo eventually lost in their very first match at the Olympics ending India's medal hopes.

Speaking about the debacle, Paes ex-partner Mahesh Bhupathi said, "The (men's) doubles team was definitely under-prepared, in fact there were no preparation - that's the right word. They did not practise, did not play any matches together. Even when Leander and me were not playing on tour in 2004 and 2008 (Olympic Games in Athens and Beijing), we always came together, played a couple of tournaments together. That's what the Olympics demands," reported ToI.

Bhupathi detailed how Paes and him, despite the hundreds of matches they had played together, still put in the practice hours ahead of the Olympics and called out the pair's lack of preparation.

We (he and Paes) won three hundred matches on (ATP) tour, (but) we (still) made an effort to do it. This time they went in cold. Obviously one (doubles) match against a dilapidated Korean Davis Cup team is not the way to prepare for the Olympics.

The 42-year-old also rued India's near-miss in the mixed doubles where Bopanna paired with Sania Mirza and said, "That (medal) was never going to happen in the doubles. Our best bet was mixed (doubles), but unfortunately we (India) came close, but it did not happen”.

Although the Paes-Bopanna controversy was brewing all the way until the end, Mahesh was just happy things did not blow up.

"Everybody expected it. Everyone was keeping quiet till it actually surfaced. I am happy it did not get out of hand," he said.

Bhupathi joked when he was asked why India's tennis events at Olympics have attracted so much negative publicity.

"The next three will also be the same, nothing new. You saw the comments yesterday about the two medalists (PV Sindhu and Sakshi Malik). Comments in India just fly," he said.

Bhupathi also talked about how India came so close to winning Olympics medals in tennis but always ended up just short.

"All of us would have liked to win a medal. We came very close in 2008 - me and Leander and both of them (Bopanna and Sania) this year. Unfortunately in tennis, it (chance to win medal in Olympics) comes only once in four years.

"Nobody was more disappointed than the players themselves," he added.

He praised the mixed doubles pair of Saina and Bopanna although they ended up short in the end.

"They (mixed doubles pair) were very unlucky. They were so close (to reach the final). I mean, 3-1 up in supertie breaker and 6-2 in the first set. You have to give credit to Venus Williams who stepped it up and played amazing tennis in the super tie breaker," Bhupathi added.

Bhupathi also praised Sania's doubles partner Prarthana Thombare for her effort in the women's doubles event despite her low internataional ranking.

They put in a lot of practice time. She (Prarthana) practises in Sania's academy. Obviously with Sania's ranking and her ranking being so different, they could not get into any tournament for practice. But they gave it their best shot.

"It was very surprising that her (Sania's) young partner was able to hold her own for three sets," said Bhupathi, reported ToI.

Bhupathi also expressed satisfaction at Saketh Myneni's foray into the main draw of the men's singles event at the US Open.

"For us to have an Indian playing a singles (main draw match) in either men or women is exciting; it's so rare. He's got a decent draw. He's playing (Czech J) Vesely. With his serve, hopefully he will have a good outing tomorrow,” he said.

Meanwhile, Myneni has lost his first-round match at the end of an epic five-set battle despite serving for the match at one point only to be eventually tied down by cramps.

Also read:How India's greatest Olympic hero, Leander Paes, turned into its biggest villain

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