To win in Russia will be magical: Paes

Braveheart Leander Paes is keen to see the Indian tri-colour flying high during the course of the forthcoming Davis Cup tie against Russia. Short of breath but brimming with ideas, Paes spoke about issues ranging from Davis Cup prospects to his interest in films, during an impromptu visit to the city here on Wednesday.

Paes admitted that playing in Russia would be a tough proposition but he was optimistic about the Indian team’s ability to spring a surprise. “Winning the first Grand Slam (Australian Open mixed doubles) of the year is a good beginning. Playing Russia in the Davis Cup is tough and they have (Nikolay) Davydenko, who just won the World Masters but our team has created some upsets and anything can happen.

“I am looking forward to the tie, which is less than a month away. To play in tough wintery conditions and come away with a win will be magical,” Paes said.

“I have spoken to Somdev Devvarman. I heard Mahesh Bhupathi has an injury, hope he recovers well. We also have Yuki Bhambri and Sanam Singh, who did well in the Chennai Open. We have a good team and getting into Russia as early as we can would give us chance to acclimatise,” Paes added.

Paes hinted that his absence from the recent Chennai Open was due to his “not being welcome” at India’s lone ATP event. “I love playing in front of my own crowd, I love playing in India. It was unfortunate that I was not welcomed as well as I normally am,” said Paes.

Paes, however, utilised the time to prepare well for the Australian Open, in which he won the mixed doubles title.

On CWG

Hoping to strike it big along with Bhupathi in the Commonwealth Games, Paes said: “The experience that Mahesh and I have will matter in the doubles.”

Paes, however, was at a loss for words when asked about the fissures affecting Indian hockey. “I am not here to point fingers. It is a little sad to see that hockey which is our national sport has not grown as much as other sports. To come from a family where my father was a hockey Olympian, that is something very dear to my heart,” he said.

Paes expressed the hope that the recent racism hadow that affected Indians in Australia will ebb away. “I have had a long relation with Australians. Tony Roche and Bob Carmichael have coached me and the first time I did well was in Melbourne way back in 1990 when I made it to the junior (Australian Open) final. Sport should be one of those vehicles to bridge good ties between countries,” Paes said.

Future goals

With talk about a Bollywood oray swirling in the air, Paes quickly stepped in and said: “I have not signed any movie yet as tennis is my main priority.

“I love cinema and when the right script comes, I would love to explore. I would like to drive a race car at Sriperumbudur, climb the Himalayas, and explore India on a bike. I would love to win five or six more Grand Slams and I would love to take part in my sixth Olympics.”

And what about Paes, the man and the athlete? The winner of 11 Grand Slam titles, grinned and replied: “My whole lifestyle is regimented towards peak performance at the right moment. The fact that I live a clean lifestyle — I don’t smoke or drink…I do meditation, yoga, martial arts and gym work…it prepares me well for an event.

“Tennis technique has become muscle memory for me. The other thing that I have found over the years is my mental strength through,which I dig deep when the going gets tough.”