The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has announced that Rohan Bopanna and Leander Paes will play the men’s doubles at the Rio Olympics, and the former will partner Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles.
It was also announced that Sania, the World No.1 in women’s doubles, will partner the country’s second-highest ranked player Prarthana Thombare (209) in the women’s doubles.
After the selection committee met under the chairmanship of former Davis Cup captain S.P. Misra at the R.K. Khanna Stadium here on Saturday, AITA president Anil Khanna, addressed the media and offered clarifications on the choice of teams and the views Bopanna had expressed in his “well-meaning” letter in which he had opted for Saketh Myneni as his partner for the men’s doubles event.
While acknowledging that Bopanna had ensured India’s entry in the doubles events by making the top-10, Khanna reiterated that there was never any fear of India not gaining a spot in the men’s doubles. With Paes ranked at No.46, India was assured of a place in the men’s doubles draw even if Bopanna had not broken into the top-10.
Khanna, also president of the Asian Tennis Federation, pointed out that the “ITF place” for regional representation would have secured India an entry in any case as the Indian pair was the best placed in the continent in terms of combined rank, ahead of the Japanese team featuring Kei Nishikori.
On the mixed doubles combination, Khanna said the rankings weighed heavily in favour of Bopanna, and, as a left-court player, he would have a better chance at success with Sania who plays right court.
The selection committee, which had Balram Singh, Nandan Bal, Zeeshan Ali, Anil Khanna, Bharat Oza and C.S. Sunder Raju apart from Misra, announced a seven-member squad for the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania group-I tie against Korea to be played on grass at Chandigarh from July 15 to 17.
The winner will qualify for the World Group play-off.
Yuki Bhambri, Saketh Myneni, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Rohan Bopanna, Sumit Nagal, Vishnu Vardhan and Leander Paes have been named for the tie, keeping in mind the fact that it would give the players a good chance to build rapport before the Olympics.
“Dialogue is important. Getting them together is important. It should help,” said Zeeshan, the Davis Cup coach and captain of the Indian tennis squad at Rio.
The ITF has to be given the names of four playing members by July 5.
