Peas-Bhupathi win with ease

New York, August 22: Playing together for the first time this season after an ignominious break-up, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi defeated a Latin American team of Juan Cerda and Rodriguez Grille 7-5 6-4 in the opening round of the Hamlet Cup ATP Tour event in Commack.

Paes and Bhupathi, who finished as World No 1 in the 1999 year-end rankings, will be leading India’s hopes at the next month’s Sydney Olympic Games. And, a good practice at the three events they are scheduled to participate before reaching Sydney, should tune them up for the big challenge.

With the straight-set win over Cerda of Chile and Brazilian Grille in the $415,200 event, the Indian pair lined themselves up for a tough second-round tie against top seed Swedish tandem of Niklas Kulti and Mikael Tillstrom.

The comfortable victory has somewhat put to rest speculations about the pair’s form which had taken a beating after a bout of injuries and misunderstandings.