Paes - Bhupati to play Australian Open Doubles Final today.
You can call it a grand re-union of the greatest Lawn-tennis duo that India has ever produced. After a break of nine long years, the Indian tennis veterans Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes are back together to recreate the magic. They have already showed their powerful chemistry on the court by clinching their first doubles title on their reunion and fifth at the ATP Chennai Open this year. What next for this great Indian pair, popularly called the "Indian Express", is the first Grand Slam of the Year, the Australian Open.
You can call it a grand re-union of the greatest Lawn-tennis duo that India has ever produced. After a break of nine long years, the Indian tennis veterans Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes are back together to recreate the magic. They have already showed their powerful chemistry on the court by clinching their first doubles title on their reunion and fifth at the ATP Chennai Open this year. What next for this great Indian pair, popularly called the "Indian Express", is the first Grand Slam of the Year, the Australian Open.
Paes and Bhupathi played with determination to start the season and have stormed into the Australian Open men's doubles final. If they beat hattrick-chasing American twins Bob and Mike Bryan in the final today, the dashing duo will win the only Grand Slam title missing from their list of achievements. Will the trademark chest bumps create the magic once again? Will the aggression, which had once made them a feared doubles pair, bring us that missing laurel?
Let's stroll down the memory lane and recall the success saga of Paes and Bhupathi. It was in 1997 Chennai Open when the pair won their first ATP doubles title and then went on to write a number of chapters in tennis history. It was in Chennai only that the duo won three back to back titles from 1997 to 1999. The year 1999 was their most successful year in Grand Slam history, winning the French Open and Wimbledon titles.
Let's stroll down the memory lane and recall the success saga of Paes and Bhupathi. It was in 1997 Chennai Open when the pair won their first ATP doubles title and then went on to write a number of chapters in tennis history. It was in Chennai only that the duo won three back to back titles from 1997 to 1999. The year 1999 was their most successful year in Grand Slam history, winning the French Open and Wimbledon titles.
In 2002, the pair made a successful comeback in Chennai by winning the title once again, but then the unnamed split happened and from such a high, the relationship between the pair gradually declined and reached a point of no communication. The exact cause or causes for the rift has never been known so far though various factors like ego clashes, each player garnering more attention than the other have been rumoured over the years. But the lure of a much awaited win at the Rod Laver Arena seems to be stronger than the dislike, and the dominating double partners are back to rule the court.
Paes and Bhupathi forged a formidable partnership in the late 90s until 2001-02, before they split up as a pair and decided to go on their own individual courses. But both of them had struggled with their doubles campaign with other players. While Paes partnered with players like Sebastian Lareau of Canada and Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti, Bhupathi tried his hand with players like Belarussian Max Mirnyi, Mark Knowles of Bahamas and Andrew Kratzmann of Australia. Although they have achieved decent success with their other double partners, but the chemistry they shared with each other as a team was incomparable.
Paes showed promise early in his career by winning titles at the Junior U.S. Open and the Junior Wimbledon. He rose to the number 1 in the world in the junior rankings. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he beat Fernando Meligeni to win the Bronze medal. However, his journey being a single player was not that great. Like Paes, Bhupathi also had greater success in doubles as compared to singles as he won only 10 singles matches, while lost 28 matches, so far in his career. But together these two Indians have made remarkable records and hence, regarded as one of the best doubles team in the world of tennis.
Today, when the Indian duo will take on the Bryans, the crowd will surely do their bit in providing the impetus. Inspiration will come from a loud 'Come on' and the whole India will hold its breath to see whether the magical pair has the last laugh, bringing home the victory in the golden hour.
Paes and Bhupathi forged a formidable partnership in the late 90s until 2001-02, before they split up as a pair and decided to go on their own individual courses. But both of them had struggled with their doubles campaign with other players. While Paes partnered with players like Sebastian Lareau of Canada and Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti, Bhupathi tried his hand with players like Belarussian Max Mirnyi, Mark Knowles of Bahamas and Andrew Kratzmann of Australia. Although they have achieved decent success with their other double partners, but the chemistry they shared with each other as a team was incomparable.
Paes showed promise early in his career by winning titles at the Junior U.S. Open and the Junior Wimbledon. He rose to the number 1 in the world in the junior rankings. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he beat Fernando Meligeni to win the Bronze medal. However, his journey being a single player was not that great. Like Paes, Bhupathi also had greater success in doubles as compared to singles as he won only 10 singles matches, while lost 28 matches, so far in his career. But together these two Indians have made remarkable records and hence, regarded as one of the best doubles team in the world of tennis.
Today, when the Indian duo will take on the Bryans, the crowd will surely do their bit in providing the impetus. Inspiration will come from a loud 'Come on' and the whole India will hold its breath to see whether the magical pair has the last laugh, bringing home the victory in the golden hour.
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