Huge challenge for warring players to deliver at Olympics

But in individual capacity the three stalwarts Leander Paes,Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza have produced some encouraging results in the past 12 months,hence they can go onto produce some magic on the court and get the country’s second Olympic medal in tennis.

Paes is the only tennis player from the country to have won a medal a bronze in Olympics when he achieved the coveted feat in the men’s singles at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Ironically,he became the central figure in one of the most bitter rows in Indian tennis a drama that was played out for quite a few days before things eventually settled down.

In the process,a new friendship (Bhupathi-Rohan Bopanna) came to the fore,one already-soured (Paes-Bhupathi) became more bitter and a flourishing one (Bhupathi-Sania) got strained.

It was the outcome of the selection controversy that Indian tennis witnessed or rather endured,a few days ahead of the Games.

Although India will be part of four events at the tennis competition,the medal chance is only in two men’s doubles and mixed doubles and that’s why the players’ chemistry with each other assumed significance.