At the end of a super-week of outstanding tennis at the Kingfisher Open, as we braved exasperating rain interventions, and a strangely listless Bombay crowd, it was India’s Davis Cupper from time immemorial and Grand Slam winner of several tournaments, Mahesh Bhupathi, who really dropped a Hiroshima. Rounding off his doubles victory with Croatian Mario Ancic, a second successive doubles ATP title following the China Open, Bhupathi stated to a stunned nation of sports lovers that he would probably never play for India again. Reason; his old partner, now turned formidable foe across the net Leander Paes has categorically refused to play with him in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Understandably peeved and clearly despondent, Mahesh has thrown in the towel to representing his country again.
I have had the enormous luck of playing doubles with Leander, both as an affable, extremely patient partner and a dangerous wily panther prowling savagely on the other side of the net. This was during a brief period when my sports firm in it’s early struggling days of infancy had taken up the assignment of managing his brand endorsements. Leander is a charming bloke, soft spoken, has an incisively analytical mind, and his adrenaline levels are extra-terrestrial. What was particularly conspicuous was his gentle handling of exuberant over-eager kids. It is hardly a surprise that he is disarmingly beguiling to the opposite sex. His tennis skills are far too legendary for me to comment on in this column.
Mahesh, is a personification of understated elegance on the court, his delicate finesse on volleys and lethal double handed back-hand returns complementing his genteel simplicity and unassuming nature off it. He is a thorough gentleman, remarkably committed, hard-working and a good leader. I saw the latter trait so obviously on display at the CCI, where his entire Globosport team worked tirelessly round-the-clock led by an indefatigable former National hero, Gaurav Natekar.
All those who were fortunate enough to have witnessed the doubles clash between Bhupathi/Ancic and Paes/A Quereshi (of Pakistan) would have realised that the former doubles duo are vintage stuff, chest-thumping et al. Terrific anticipation, great finish, awesome reflexes marked the entertaining encounter. The truth is that if the two old friends were to re-assemble in the December of their professional career, I have no doubt that they can easily recapture that old magic. But will they, is what the disputed line call is all about.
Since the time they have categorically parted ways, save the occasional Davis Cup encounters, they have both enjoyed modest professional victories and some bleak periods of inconsequential outings. More importantly, they have both settled down with their spouses, the latter an evident calming influence. The two hot party-circuit boys are now domesticated family-men, run their own personal businesses, and know that in a fiercely competitive sport such as tennis, the final countdown clock has begun to ring. Should they allow their personal ego’s, past bitterness or silly misunderstandings to now come between them at the ending stages of their illustrious careers? For their sake, I would hope not.
Mahesh and Lee’s glorious successes marks a shining chapter in India’s tennis history. If they were to come together, I foresee not just at least a few more Grand Slams and Davis Cup wins, but who knows, gold at the Beijing Olympics too? But for them to bury the hatchet, they need to do what Pete Sampras once practiced. The winner of 14 Grand Slam titles said that he never looked at the past points, that was archived history. He was only focused on the Boris Becker serve coming at him like a speeding rocket, a serve he had to negotiate and return. What’s next was all that mattered, the rest was just a point on the score-board. The thunderous applause for a delectable volley on the last point was now irrelevant. Sampras was focused on just one thing -- Next!
Mahesh has had the courage to make the first gracious open offer; no Leander, no more tennis for India. Now it’s up to the Kolkata boy to be man enough to let bygones be a closed chapter, and shake the hand of his past pal. Paes feigns surprise at Mahesh’s public declaration, but I am sure he knows that if he bites the bullet, the deadly duo of Indian tennis can still pull off the unimaginable.
To beat the Bryan brothers, they need to be like brothers. Brothers-in-arms.
Over to you, Leander! Your serve!
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