The wretched form of India’s tennis star Leander Paes on the ATP Tour continued when the Indian, partnering Czech Republic’s David Rikl, bowed out of the $ 2.2-million ATP Tennis Masters event in Rome, in the second round.Paes and Rikl, fourth seeds, went down to Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan 4-6, 3-6, according to information reaching here today.There was some good news for Indian fans, however, with Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi of Belarus, seeded second, advancing to the quarterfinals with a 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (8/6) victory over Argentine pair Augustin Calleri and Guillermo Coria.Both Paes-Rikl and Bhupathi-Mirnyi had a bye in the first round of the Italian clay court Masters, a tune-up event to the French Open which begins on May 26.The sine-curves of Bhupathi and Paes always seem to be at opposite nodes. Paes began the year 2003 with a spectaculour mixed doubles crown at the Australian Open with the legendary Martina Navratilova. He went on to win two ATP doubles titles in Dubai and Delray Beach in February.Bhupathi, on the other hand, had a rusty start to the new season when he struggled to strike the right combination with new partner Joshua Eagle of Australia. But now that Bhupathi has returned to his winning ways, thanks mainly to his rejoining Mirnyi with whom he won the US Open crown last year, Paes seems to have hit a bad patch.Bhupathi and Mirnyi were also named April’s doubles team of the month by the ATP after winning the previous masters event in Monte Carlo and also the Estoril Open.In contrast, Paes and Rikl are yet to clinch a title since winning at Dubai in February, although Paes won the Delray Beach event the following week partnering Ninad Zimonjic of Serbia.Paes and Rikl are fourth placed on the ATP doubles raceas against the seventh position of Bhupathi and Mirnyi. In the doubles entry ranking, which gives individual rankings of the doubles players, Mirnyi and Bhupathi are third and fourth with 4590 and 4485 points respectively.Rikl (2750) is at tenth while Paes (2310) is further down at 16.
