At 45, Leander Paes targets glory in Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Tennis | Jun 01, 2019, 04:08 PM ISTThe Indian tennis veteran has set his eyes on the gold medal at Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He is currently participating in the French Open.
The Indian tennis veteran has set his eyes on the gold medal at Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He is currently participating in the French Open.
Talking about Indian tennis, which has not been able to produce world-class singles players in the last three decades, Becker said the trio (all doubles specialists) need to unite to take the game forward in their country.
Asked if India would be at a disadvantageous position minus Leander Paes on familiar surface at the South Club, Mahesh Bhupathi was dismissive in his reply.
The unseeded pair of Paes and Stosur won the first set 6-4 against Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Robert Farah but conceded the second set with the same scoreline.
The 15th seeded Indian team of Bopanna and Sharan, who began their partnership with a bang in Pune, lost 1-6, 6-4, 5-7 to the unseeded Spanish pair of Carreno Busta and Garcia-Lopez.
That the vacuum is real can be gauged from the fact that a 45-year-old Leander Paes is still India's biggest player, winning titles even this year, dropping no hints of retirement.
Paes, who is ranked 69, added 110 ranking points to his kitty and shared a prize purse of USD 7750 with his partner.
Leander Paes is one win away from winning his second title of the season on the Challenger circuit, reaching the final of the Santo Domingo Open.
The reigning Asian Games champion pair of Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan will be playing the doubles.
Paes was already miffed at his exclusion from TOP Scheme but had made himself available for the Asian Games, where he has won eight medals, including five gold.
There is still uncertainty over whom the 18-time Grand Slam champion will partner in the doubles, with Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan expected to play together.
Ramkumar Ramanathan had said he would love to win a medal with Leander Paes at the Asian Games, beginning August 18 in Jakarta and Palembang.
Ramkumar, who ended a runner-up at the Newport event last week, lost 4-6, 4-6 to American world number five Taylor Fritz.
The world number 161 has made his first ever entry into the last four of any ATP tour.
Leander Paes bowed out after losing his doubles quarter-final at the Hall of Fame Open grasscourt tournament in Newport.
Leander Paes made a winning return to competitive tennis with American partner Jamie Cerretani at the ATP Hall of Fame Open in Newport.
Leander Paes returned to the Indian team for the Asian Games while the country's top player Yuki Bhambri was exempted as the AITA announced a 12-member squad.
Yuki, ranked 93, has told AITA that if he gets direct entry into the last Grand Slam of the season, he won't be available.
Leander Paes is 44 now, with a world record 43 doubles wins in Davis Cup to his credit.
Leander Paes, India's Davis Cup hero for years, was tied on 42 wins with Italian great Nicola Pietrangeli for long but finally surpassed him, albeit, in a foreign land.
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