Game, set, mismatch

Leander Paes once lamented that no matter how well an Indian tennis player performed, headlines emblazoning his achievement were bound to ...

Leander Paes once lamented that no matter how well an Indian tennis player performed, headlines emblazoning his achievement were bound to appear like mere footnotes on cricket-obsessed sports pages. Well, he was wrong. As the dream duo of Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi notched up a string of tennising firsts for India over the last year and a half, they overwhelmingly captured the nation8217;s imagination. Indeed, they were lavished with the same adulation that greets the sporadic achievements of larger-than-life cricketing heroes.

And for a country quite unaccustomed to sporting laurels, doubles titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon were greeted with a fervour normally associated with singles triumphs. And now as they announce their decision to split apart the world8217;s top-ranking doubles team, any notions harboured that India does not care are sure to be scotched as fans react with dollops of consternation. Tennis may be a highly individualistic sport but in the minds of most people in this country Paes and Bhupathi were clubbed together; wielding a racquet may be all about ATP rankings, but each time the duo took to the court, they were seen to be out batting for India. Hence, the widespread dismay.

While it is clearly a private decision, it is definitely baffling. Quirks and incompatible perspectives are all very well, but when in spite of all the mutual distrust one manages to achieve not just success but excellence as well, snap decisions are somewhat mystifying. In 1999, Paes and Bhupathi became the first doubles team since 1952 to have made it to the finals of all four Grand Slams. And just a month ago, Paes declared their joint intent to go down as the most successful doubles pair in history. quot;We are on the threshold of achieving that,quot; he said. quot;It is a matter of finetuning and ironing out our weaknesses.quot; Admittedly, they may go on to achieve greater laurels; in fact Paes has already registered a minor win with Dutchman Jan Seimerinck. But it would take time, for doubles tennis requires a certain something, an unquantifiable mixing of styles and approaches which they had achieved after half a decade of practising together.

Moreover, in failing to iron out their weaknesses, they have highlighted yet again institutional weaknesses in India8217;s sport establishment. The two tennis stars aver that they will continue to be partners in the Davis Cup and Olympics, but can two players no longer in sync actually achieve the same level of success? This is not just a hypothetical question, for in a sad commentary of sporting achievement hopes of a medal at the Sydney Olympics hinge on sterling performances from these two. It thus speaks of insufficient attention and foresight on the part of the tennis establishment that attempts were not made to iron out differences, differences that in the end boiled down to just one thing: Enrico Piperno accompanying Bhupathi on the tour. And yet, all-round cynicism is really not in order, and one can only but hope that Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi will continue to motivate youngsters with their pursuit of excellence.