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Leander Paes needs to take a break from tennis

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S Kannan
S KannanSep 20, 2015 | 15:35

Leander Paes needs to take a break from tennis

Leander Paes sat on the chair and stared into empty space after he and Rohan Bopanna suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Radek Stepanek and Adam Pavlasek in the crucial doubles rubber of the Davis Cup World Group playoff on Saturday.

Over the years, India has tended to take the doubles rubber for granted. Such had been the domination of Leander and partner Mahesh Bhupathi, it was assumed the point was in India's kitty.

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A lot had been made of Leander and Rohan as well in the week leading into this tie, but both players were flat on Saturday. The way the two served was pathetic and all talk of Indians having the advantage in doubles and heat suiting them was blown to smithereens.

There were more cars packed in residential areas close to the RK Khanna Stadium as fans came to see the Indian magic. Instead, it turned out to be a flop show as the least experienced player on court — Pavlasek — turned on the magic.

Davis Cup records are quick to point out that to bounce back after being 1-2 down is very tough, so the thought of Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri bailing India out in the reverse singles needs a reality check.

Back to Leander and Rohan, they had only two or three practice sessions this week. Having seen Leander train for almost a full week prior to each Cup tie in the last 25 years, his casual visit to the city two days before the tie was unprofessional.

Agreed, he is handling personal issues but when you are playing for the country, commitment is paramount. As one who picks which tie to play and which one to skip, he did not distinguish himself on Saturday.

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One could easily argue Rohan also played below par but the fact is it hurt Team India.

Anand Amritraj had talked two days before the tie how he felt sorry for Saketh Myneni as the Davis Cup is like a revolving door for him. Each time he is asked to move out, he does so, and when he is called for national duty, he is there. The same was the case during the Incheon Asian Games when Leander and some other players made themselves unavailable.The point is as much as we rave over 42-year-old Leander winning Grand Slam mixed doubles titles with Martina Hingis, his men’s doubles performances in 2015 has been mediocre. He has slipped to No. 33 in the rankings and who he is going to pair with him in 2016 on the ATP Tour is anybody’s guess.

Every four years, talk veers around to medal chances in tennis at the Olympics. Since 1992, when Leander competed for the first time in Barcelona, he has talked about what playing in the Olympics means.

He won a singles bronze at Atlanta 1996, but after that in four doubles attempts at Sydney, Athens, Beijing and London, he never managed a medal.

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If Leander and Mahesh, who shared great chemistry, could not win a medal at the Olympics, is it correct to fancy a medal chance in men’s doubles in Rio 2016 with Rohan as partner? The answer is ‘no’ as I don’t see any signs of the two sticking it out as a pair on the tour.

Rohan has to protect his men’s doubles ranking and focus on his bread and butter from the Tour next year. To hope that the two will play a few events before Rio and chemistry will be created is gibberish. Even if you are going to get chemistry Nobel winners and ask for catalysts, it won't help!

Another medal chance at Rio will be in mixed doubles. The drama played out by the protagonists before the London Olympics is still fresh in memory. Leander wanted to play with Mahesh and Mahesh wanted to play with Rohan. Sania wanted to play with a partner of her choice but was forced to pair with Leander.

If the All India Tennis Association is serious about winning a medal in mixed doubles, Sania should chose her partner. She is No.1 today but the Rio Games are 11 months away and what happens then will count.The Olympics tennis soap opera should not be repeated as it has become nauseating. Leander can fantasise about winning another medal, but he is not like champion British rower Steve Redgrave who competed from Los Angeles 1984 to Sydney 2000 and won five gold medals and one bronze.

If Leander wants to make the cut for Rio, the path ahead is tough. Then again, in mixed doubles, the cut-off for the Olympics goes as high as 24 in combined ranking. Should Sania stay in the top five, she will need a partner ranked high to get into the Olympics mixed doubles draw.

Back to the Davis Cup, the time for the AITA selection committee to look at the future. Yuki and Somdev will keep trying in singles, but the doubles bubble has burst. It’s about time Leander is given a farewell tie even though the AITA never thought on those lines for Mahesh Bhupathi.

Last updated: September 20, 2015 | 15:37
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